AfriLabs

About Us - Our History

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Our Journey So Far

2011

Foundation

AfriLabs was established by five (5) Hubs: NaiLab Kenya, iHub Kenya, Hive Colab Uganda, Banta Labs Senegal, ActivSpaces Cameroun .

2011

Foundation

2012

1st Executive Director of AfriLabs

AfriLabs hired Tayo Akinyemi as its first Executive Director.

2012

1st Executive Director of AfriLabs

2012

Partnership with Hivos and Indigo Trust

AfriLabs Partnered with Hivos & Indigo Trust.

2012

Partnership with Hivos and Indigo Trust

2012

Registration

AfriLabs was formally registered as a foundation.

2012

Registration

2013

World Bank InfoDev Virtual Incubation project

AfriLabs got involved with the World Bank InfoDev Virtual Incubation project.

2013

World Bank InfoDev Virtual Incubation project

2013

Partnership Microsoft for Africa & Rockefeller Foundation

AfriLabs partnered with Microsoft 4Afrika and The Rockefeller foundation.

2013

Partnership Microsoft for Africa & Rockefeller Foundation

2013

1st Berlin Meet-up

AfriLabs had its first global meet-up in Berlin supported by Global Innovation Gathering.

2013

1st Berlin Meet-up

2014

AfriLabs launches Digital Jobs Challenge

AfriLabs collaborated with The Rockefeller Foundation to launch a Digital jobs challenge.

2014

AfriLabs launches Digital Jobs Challenge

2014

2nd Global Meet-up in Berlin

AfriLabs held its 2nd global meetup in Berlin.

2014

2nd Global Meet-up in Berlin

2014

AfriLabs & AfriHive

AfriLabs hosted the Hub sustainability series with AfriHive.

2014

AfriLabs & AfriHive

2014

AfriLabs initiated the Hub sustainability challenge: Hub in a Box.

AfriLabs initiated the Hub sustainability challenge: Hub in a Box.

2014

AfriLabs initiated the Hub sustainability challenge: Hub in a Box.

2015

Launches new Partnership with OSIWA

AfriLabs website was created and branding was carried out.

2015

Launches new Partnership with OSIWA

2015

1st Egypt Meet-up

AfriLabs held its first African meetup in Egypt.

2015

1st Egypt Meet-up

2016

AfriLabs 1st Secretariat in Abuja

AfriLabs set up its first secretariat in Abuja, Nigeria headed by Anna Ekeledo.

2016

AfriLabs 1st Secretariat in Abuja

2016

Launched corporate affiliate program with Facebook & Africa.com

Launched corporate affiliate program with Facebook & Africa.com

2016

Launched corporate affiliate program with Facebook & Africa.com

2016

Partnership with MAVC

MAVC partnership (AfriLabs Annual Gathering, Organizational support, Learning platform, City meet-ups in Dakar, Johannesburg, Cairo, Lagos, and Nairobi).

2016

Partnership with MAVC

2016

City meet ups in Nairobi, Lagos, Cairo, Johannesburg and Senegal.

AfriLabs launched a series of regional city meet-ups in Nairobi, Lagos, Cairo, Johannesburg, and Senegal.

2016

City meet ups in Nairobi, Lagos, Cairo, Johannesburg and Senegal.

2016

1st AfriLabs Annual Gathering in Accra, Ghana.

AfriLabs had its first African Annual Gathering, which took place in Accra, Ghana.

2016

1st AfriLabs Annual Gathering in Accra, Ghana.

2017

AfriLabs Board Elections

2017

AfriLabs Board Elections

2017

AfriLabs Hubs Learning week

AfriLabs held its first Hubs Learning Week in August, sponsored by MAVC.

2017

AfriLabs Hubs Learning week

2017

AfriLabs Annual Gathering

The 2017 Annual Gathering took place in Cairo, Egypt hosted by The District and co-organized by Hivos and AfriLabs.

2017

AfriLabs Annual Gathering

2018

AfriLabs & World Bank Open Innovation Training for Incubators

AfriLabs partnered with the World Bank to organize an open innovation webinar for incubators in April 2018.

2018

AfriLabs & World Bank Open Innovation Training for Incubators

2018

AfriLabs & Amazon Web Services Love Startups Webinars

AfriLabs partnered with Amazon Web Services to host 2 webinars for startups in April 2018.

2018

AfriLabs & Amazon Web Services Love Startups Webinars

2018

AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2018

AfriLabs held the 3rd edition of its Annual Gathering in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from the 11th-13th of October 2018. Hosted by Sahara Accelerator.

2018

AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2018

2019

AfriLabs launches the AfriLabs Capacity Building Programme (ACBP)

AfriLabs launches the AfriLabs Capacity Building Programme (ACBP), a 2 million euros capacity building programme funded by the AFD through its Digital Africa fund.

2019

AfriLabs launches the AfriLabs Capacity Building Programme (ACBP)

2019

AfriLabs joins The Global EdTech Hub with The University of Cambridge

AfriLabs joins The Global EdTech Hub with The University of Cambridge, The Overseas Development Institute, Results for Development, Brink, Jigsaw, Open Development and Education, INJINI, e-Learning Africa, and BRAC.

2019

AfriLabs joins The Global EdTech Hub with The University of Cambridge

2019

AfriLabs launches the Hub Academy in partnership with Liquid Telecoms

AfriLabs launches the Hub Academy in partnership with Liquid Telecoms. This initiative aims to provide a learning platform to AfriLabs member hubs, so that, they may offer training and upskilling support to their communities.

2019

AfriLabs launches the Hub Academy in partnership with Liquid Telecoms

2019

AfriLabs partners with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

AfriLabs partners with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to launch the Open Database, an Open Data platform for the African entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.

2019

AfriLabs partners with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

2021

AfriLabs and African Business Angels Network (ABAN) launched Catalytic Africa

AfriLabs and African Business Angels Network (ABAN) launched Catalytic Africa, a matching fund that aims to strengthen African startups, innovation hubs, and angel investors while delivering impact results to institutional funders.

2021

AfriLabs and African Business Angels Network (ABAN) launched Catalytic Africa

2021

AfriLabs rebrands

AfriLabs rebrands, adapting an identity that truly reflects its mission and vision.

2021

AfriLabs rebrands

2021

AfriLabs marks its 10th anniversary

2021

AfriLabs marks its 10th anniversary

2021

The 6th AfriLabs Annual Gathering is held in Abuja, Nigeria

2021

The 6th AfriLabs Annual Gathering is held in Abuja, Nigeria

2021

The AfriLabs network expands to over 300 member hubs in 48 African countries

2021

The AfriLabs network expands to over 300 member hubs in 48 African countries

2021

AfriLabs launched “Bolstering Innovators in Africa”

AfriLabs launched “Bolstering Innovators in Africa” in collaboration with Briter Bridges, a report about innovation support in Africa

2021

AfriLabs launched “Bolstering Innovators in Africa”

2022

AfriLabs launches AfriLabs Connect

AfriLabs launches AfriLabs Connect, a purpose-built ecosystem engagement platform that is the digital face of AfriLabs. The platform brings together the largest community of innovation enablers in Africa

2022

AfriLabs launches AfriLabs Connect

2022

AfriLabs network expands to 53 African countries

2022

AfriLabs network expands to 53 African countries

2022

AfriLabs unveils its 10-year strategic plan

AfriLabs unveils its 10-year strategic plan, outlining AfriLabs' priorities and objectives, and how the organisation aims to achieve them.

2022

AfriLabs unveils its 10-year strategic plan

2022

AfriLabs launches the AfriLabs Policy Pathways

AfriLabs launches the AfriLabs Policy Pathways, a comprehensive approach to empower governments to shape innovation-friendly policies and regulations, supporting startups and entrepreneurs throughout the continent.

2022

AfriLabs launches the AfriLabs Policy Pathways

2022

AfriLabs launched the AfriLabs Academy

AfriLabs launched the AfriLabs Academy, an initiative of AfriLabs and implemented under the AfriLabs Capacity Building Programme that is designed to equip African Hub managers and staff with the training and management skills needed to improve their ability and capacity to support the growing number of startups and MSMEs in their communities.

2022

AfriLabs launched the AfriLabs Academy

2022

The 7th AfriLabs Annual Gathering is held in Lusaka, Zambia

2022

The 7th AfriLabs Annual Gathering is held in Lusaka, Zambia

2022

AfriLabs launched a report on the African Deep-Tech Startup Ecosystem

AfriLabs launched a report on the African Deep-Tech Startup Ecosystem in collaboration with Intel and Briter Bridges

2022

AfriLabs launched a report on the African Deep-Tech Startup Ecosystem

2023

AfriLabs launched RevUp Women

AfriLabs launched RevUp Women, an enterprise development intervention for early-stage women-led African enterprises.

2023

AfriLabs launched RevUp Women

2023

AfriLabs partners U.S. Department of State to address climate crisis via entrepreneurship

2023

AfriLabs partners U.S. Department of State to address climate crisis via entrepreneurship

2023

AfriLabs launched AfriLabs Connect Dealroom

AfriLabs launched AfriLabs Connect Dealroom, a platform-based initiative of AfriLabs designed to tackle the inherent issues of identifying, funding and accessing investible startups of the African innovation ecosystem.

2023

AfriLabs launched AfriLabs Connect Dealroom

2023

AfriLabs held its 8th AfriLabs Annual Gathering in Kigali, Rwanda

2023

AfriLabs held its 8th AfriLabs Annual Gathering in Kigali, Rwanda