About Us - Our History
Our Journey So Far
Foundation
AfriLabs was established by five (5) Hubs: NaiLab Kenya, iHub Kenya, Hive Colab Uganda, Banta Labs Senegal, ActivSpaces Cameroun .
2011Foundation
1st Executive Director of AfriLabs
AfriLabs hired Tayo Akinyemi as its first Executive Director.
20121st Executive Director of AfriLabs
Partnership with Hivos and Indigo Trust
AfriLabs Partnered with Hivos & Indigo Trust.
2012Partnership with Hivos and Indigo Trust
Registration
AfriLabs was formally registered as a foundation.
2012Registration
World Bank InfoDev Virtual Incubation project
AfriLabs got involved with the World Bank InfoDev Virtual Incubation project.
2013World Bank InfoDev Virtual Incubation project
Partnership Microsoft for Africa & Rockefeller Foundation
AfriLabs partnered with Microsoft 4Afrika and The Rockefeller foundation.
2013Partnership Microsoft for Africa & Rockefeller Foundation
1st Berlin Meet-up
AfriLabs had its first global meet-up in Berlin supported by Global Innovation Gathering.
20131st Berlin Meet-up
AfriLabs launches Digital Jobs Challenge
AfriLabs collaborated with The Rockefeller Foundation to launch a Digital jobs challenge.
2014AfriLabs launches Digital Jobs Challenge
2nd Global Meet-up in Berlin
AfriLabs held its 2nd global meetup in Berlin.
20142nd Global Meet-up in Berlin
AfriLabs & AfriHive
AfriLabs hosted the Hub sustainability series with AfriHive.
2014AfriLabs & AfriHive
AfriLabs initiated the Hub sustainability challenge: Hub in a Box.
AfriLabs initiated the Hub sustainability challenge: Hub in a Box.
2014AfriLabs initiated the Hub sustainability challenge: Hub in a Box.
Launches new Partnership with OSIWA
AfriLabs website was created and branding was carried out.
2015Launches new Partnership with OSIWA
1st Egypt Meet-up
AfriLabs held its first African meetup in Egypt.
20151st Egypt Meet-up
AfriLabs 1st Secretariat in Abuja
AfriLabs set up its first secretariat in Abuja, Nigeria headed by Anna Ekeledo.
2016AfriLabs 1st Secretariat in Abuja
Launched corporate affiliate program with Facebook & Africa.com
Launched corporate affiliate program with Facebook & Africa.com
2016Launched corporate affiliate program with Facebook & Africa.com
Partnership with MAVC
MAVC partnership (AfriLabs Annual Gathering, Organizational support, Learning platform, City meet-ups in Dakar, Johannesburg, Cairo, Lagos, and Nairobi).
2016Partnership with MAVC
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.
2016City meet ups in Nairobi, Lagos, Cairo, Johannesburg and Senegal.
1st AfriLabs Annual Gathering in Accra, Ghana.
AfriLabs had its first African Annual Gathering, which took place in Accra, Ghana.
20161st AfriLabs Annual Gathering in Accra, Ghana.
AfriLabs Board Elections
AfriLabs Board Elections
AfriLabs Hubs Learning week
AfriLabs held its first Hubs Learning Week in August, sponsored by MAVC.
2017AfriLabs Hubs Learning week
AfriLabs Annual Gathering
The 2017 Annual Gathering took place in Cairo, Egypt hosted by The District and co-organized by Hivos and AfriLabs.
2017AfriLabs Annual Gathering
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.
2018AfriLabs & World Bank Open Innovation Training for Incubators
AfriLabs & Amazon Web Services Love Startups Webinars
AfriLabs partnered with Amazon Web Services to host 2 webinars for startups in April 2018.
2018AfriLabs & Amazon Web Services Love Startups Webinars
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.
2018AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2018
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.
2019AfriLabs launches the AfriLabs Capacity Building Programme (ACBP)
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.
2019AfriLabs joins The Global EdTech Hub with The University of Cambridge
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.
2019AfriLabs launches the Hub Academy in partnership with Liquid Telecoms
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.
2019AfriLabs partners with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
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.
2021AfriLabs and African Business Angels Network (ABAN) launched Catalytic Africa
AfriLabs rebrands
AfriLabs rebrands, adapting an identity that truly reflects its mission and vision.
2021AfriLabs rebrands
AfriLabs marks its 10th anniversary
AfriLabs marks its 10th anniversary
The 6th AfriLabs Annual Gathering is held in Abuja, Nigeria
The 6th AfriLabs Annual Gathering is held in Abuja, Nigeria
The AfriLabs network expands to over 300 member hubs in 48 African countries
The AfriLabs network expands to over 300 member hubs in 48 African countries
AfriLabs launched “Bolstering Innovators in Africa”
AfriLabs launched “Bolstering Innovators in Africa” in collaboration with Briter Bridges, a report about innovation support in Africa
2021AfriLabs launched “Bolstering Innovators in Africa”
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
2022AfriLabs launches AfriLabs Connect
AfriLabs network expands to 53 African countries
AfriLabs network expands to 53 African countries
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.
2022AfriLabs unveils its 10-year strategic plan
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.
2022AfriLabs launches the AfriLabs Policy Pathways
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.
2022AfriLabs launched the AfriLabs Academy
The 7th AfriLabs Annual Gathering is held in Lusaka, Zambia
The 7th AfriLabs Annual Gathering is held in Lusaka, Zambia
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
2022AfriLabs launched a report on the African Deep-Tech Startup Ecosystem
AfriLabs launched RevUp Women
AfriLabs launched RevUp Women, an enterprise development intervention for early-stage women-led African enterprises.
2023AfriLabs launched RevUp Women
AfriLabs partners U.S. Department of State to address climate crisis via entrepreneurship
AfriLabs partners U.S. Department of State to address climate crisis via entrepreneurship
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