[kictanet] Government extends financing for ICT incubation

[John Matogo]

Dear colleagues,
Interesting discussion going on here. Firstly congrats to Nailab team and
good job to GoK for supporting.

I believe there is a need for incubators, working in an incubator myself
based in the University it is clear that providing a space like this where
projects/ideas can be tested is a positive step. We are encouraging a
culture of collaboration and innovation, which I must say from my
experience is wanting. Having incubators also makes it easier for foreign
companies to connect with local companies. These types of linkages would
otherwise not have taken place. For example one of the companies we are
incubating has established a good relationship with a swedish company.

On a separate note, working in an incubation space gives the start up
companies some level of credibility. I can tell you yet another of the
companies that we are incubating has been able to get audience with some
govt departments and other local companies even though they have only been
in operation for six months. In their words "the association with the
incubator gave confidence" to the client they are dealing with.

Regards.

John Matogo

On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 12:02 PM, Muchiri Nyaggah <muchiri at semacraft.com>wrote:

> I think this is a very good development. Many small businesses have
> benefited from incubators. These incubators just didn't look like Nailab,
> KEKOBI (remember them?) or iHub. Some business are incubated (unwittingly)
> by the employers of the entrepreneurs, very many by cybercafe owners as
> well as friends and family with a business address. Structured incubators
> are not for everyone and Nailab has always vetted those interested in
> joining so I'm certain 5 or so success stories are possible.
>
> Congratulations Sam and the Nailab team.
>
>
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Muchiri Nyaggah | LEAD FELLOW, CODE4KENYA
> @muchiri
> Cell: +254 722 506400
> Skype: mrmuchiri
> WWW.CODE4KENYA.ORG
>
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 11:42 AM, Evans Ikua <ikua.evans at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Muraya. how about the guy who has a great idea that has never been rolled
>> out anywhere, and they have no 3 years audited accounts, or even 1 year's?
>> I think we should just refine the vetting process so that we just get the
>> best projects with the best potential.
>> Think about all those guys coming from college with very great ideas. No
>> roll outs yet and no business experience.
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 9:57 AM, S.M. Muraya <murigi.muraya at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> How do we ensure a good number (say 5 of these startups) win some Go.Ke
>>> business at county levels and at the national level?
>>>
>>> How is the procurement law being revised to fund / allow local talent to
>>> thrive? This should be a very major campaign issue.
>>>
>>> Instead of asking start ups for 3 years of audited accounts why not ask
>>> for 3-5 references of sites deployed/ projects implemented?
>>>
>>>
>>>  On Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 10:49 PM, Agosta Liko <agostal at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>>  I was not being sarcastic ...
>>>>
>>>> I think this is a very good and positive step. Sam and his team at
>>>> Nailab will be able to shape the startup scene in the country.
>>>>
>>>> With this development, I am sure something will happen to make it
>>>> easier for IT SMEs to access credit/finance within the next 2 years.
>>>>
>>>> Ps: of the 30 startups, we just need 1-5 success stories ...
>>>>
>>>> This is very good for our IT scene
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 7:07 PM, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> @liko, your sarcasm is contagious, the chick that makes it is the one
>>>>> that hatches after it has been left in the bush to be incubated by the
>>>>> elements, those that hatch from the safety and warmth of the mother hen are
>>>>> and usually remain a clutch and over time develop into a brood .
>>>>>
>>>>> Any idea which incubator the following fellows where hatched from?
>>>>>
>>>>> 1.  Agosta Liko
>>>>> 2.  Bill Gates
>>>>> 3.  Kamal Budhabhatti
>>>>> 4.  Mark Zuckerberg
>>>>> 5.  John Waibochi
>>>>> 6.  *Sergey Brin
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards
>>>>>
>>>>> *
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Robert Yawe
>>>>> KAY System Technologies Ltd
>>>>> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>>>>> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>>>>> Kenya
>>>>>
>>>>> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>>>>   ------------------------------
>>>>> *From:* Agosta Liko <agostal at gmail.com>
>>>>> *To:* robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk
>>>>> *Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>>>>> *Sent:* Thursday, 24 January 2013, 18:23
>>>>> *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] Government extends financing for ICT
>>>>> incubation
>>>>>
>>>>> Kudos to serikali for this one ... Mambo Grassroots !!!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 3:25 PM, Phyllis Nyambura <pnyambura at ict.go.ke
>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Listers,
>>>>>
>>>>> The incubation model got fresh momentum today as the government,
>>>>> through the Kenya ICT Board, announced that it is putting money to support
>>>>> ICT SME's. The incubation facility will be hosted at Nailab and more than
>>>>> 30 start-ups are expected to benefit for a period of 3 years.
>>>>>
>>>>> For more information see below:
>>>>>
>>>>> *Government extends $1.6M support for ICT start-up businesses*
>>>>> * **Pilot incubation program to tap into the robust ICT Enterprise by
>>>>> developing soft business skills and operational support*
>>>>> * **Nairobi, January 24th, 2013…*The Kenya ICT Board, has today
>>>>> launched a pilot of the first government supported ICT based incubation
>>>>> program worth $ 1.6 Million with funding from the International Development
>>>>> Association (IDA).
>>>>> The Information and Communication Technology business incubator pilot
>>>>> will be implemented by NaiLab and will work with at least 30 startups
>>>>> hosted at the incubator and another 100 virtually over a three-year-period
>>>>> in an effort to sustain the concept and create high impact enterprises
>>>>> aimed at growing Kenya’s economy and creating employment. Nailab, a
>>>>> partnership funded by *1% Club* and managed by NaiLab Ltd, won the
>>>>> contract to host the incubator, in a competitive process that saw more than
>>>>> 16 companies bidding.
>>>>> The program’s main goal will be to build a program, support
>>>>> infrastructure and outreach with successes being replicated in other parts
>>>>> of the country.
>>>>> “The growth of Kenya’s economy is pegged on how many profitable
>>>>> businesses we are able to build and sustain. This project displays the
>>>>> government commitment towards supporting SME’s and growing Kenya as an ICT
>>>>> destination,” says the PS, Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr
>>>>> Bitange Ndemo.
>>>>> The project is timely as Konza Technology City prepares to transform
>>>>> the ICT investment landscape in Kenya in the next three years. Innovation,
>>>>> a strong talent pool and entrepreneurship will be the cornerstone of the
>>>>> smart city success.
>>>>>  The incubation addresses many of the gaps that have been identified
>>>>> in SME high failure rate. These gaps include increasing the capabilities of
>>>>> the entrepreneur in terms of soft skills, technical skills and business
>>>>> skills, business counseling, access to affordable services and facilities,
>>>>> access to SME finance, better linkages with both the academic community and
>>>>> industry, and quicker commercialization of innovations.
>>>>> “This initiative is a public-private-partnership that builds on
>>>>> existing efforts in building an ICT ecosystem to support entrepreneurs
>>>>> towards turning ideas into scalable businesses. Such collaborations have
>>>>> proved to give great results,” said Kenya ICT Board CEO, Paul Kukubo.
>>>>> The incubation facility will have a mix of entrepreneurs in the
>>>>> concept, early and mature stages. The companies to be considered will be
>>>>> less than five-years old, offer ICT-oriented products and their offerings
>>>>> should have an impact on Kenya’s social-economic environment.
>>>>> “Our objective has been and will always be to stimulate innovations
>>>>> and encourage entrepreneurship in Kenya, with the signing of this contract
>>>>> with the Kenya ICT Board; we will be able to reach out to other parts of
>>>>> the country, all grass root problems cannot be solved using ICT, but
>>>>> innovation includes creating new more effective processes and we hope to
>>>>> play our role in that. “We want to make sure that those we will incubate
>>>>> double their turnover within three years,” said Sam Gichuru, the NaiLab, CEO
>>>>> The pilot project will also see Kenya ICT Board and Nailab establish
>>>>> collaborative relationship with relevant organizations and institutions to
>>>>> drive the ICT agenda in the country.
>>>>>
>>>>>  “It is important for entrepreneurs to have other value addition
>>>>> other than just capital such as industry knowledge and strong mentorship
>>>>> for their start-up. Establishing a facility to give support services will
>>>>> enable the entrepreneurs get clarity in various areas like target
>>>>> customers, approaches to reach them, infrastructure and how to run their
>>>>> business successfully,” says Mr. Andrew Lewela, Project Manager, BPO/ITes
>>>>> at the Kenya ICT Board.
>>>>> A business incubator avails young enterprises with an environment
>>>>> conducive to accelerate business ideas by availing work spaces, business
>>>>> coaching and mentorship. The Kenyan pilot model is looking at innovative
>>>>> ideas with business potential in ICT.
>>>>> “Our target has never been to have more “techies” /programmers sitting
>>>>> in the space but to have them interact with the farmers, health workers,
>>>>> teacher and matatu drivers and other relevant subsectors of the economy, we
>>>>> need to understand their problems so that we can design market driven
>>>>> solutions,” added Sam Gichuru.
>>>>> *
>>>>> *
>>>>> *About NaiLab*
>>>>> NaiLab is a startup accelerator is a partnership between 1% Club and
>>>>> Nailab ltd ,that offers a  three to 12 months entrepreneurship
>>>>> program with focus on growing innovative technology driven ideas, this is
>>>>> done by providing business advice, technical training and support,
>>>>> professional mentoring and coaching, access to market, strategic
>>>>> partnership and most important investors.
>>>>> The NaiLab focuses on early stage business ideas that are likely to
>>>>> have a large social and economic impact, are highly scalable, require
>>>>> minimum investments to prototype and have a strong value proposition.
>>>>> *About Kenya ICT Board*
>>>>> Established as a state corporation in 2007, the Kenya ICT Board’s has
>>>>> been a champion and an active enabler for the adoption and exploitation of
>>>>> ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure
>>>>> growth for socio economic enrichment. This is in line with making Kenya
>>>>> African premier ICT hub by 2030.
>>>>> * *
>>>>>
>>>>> *Regards,*
>>>>> Phyllis Nyambura
>>>>> Communication Writer
>>>>> Kenya ICT Board
>>>>>
>>>>> Telposta Towers, 12th Floor, Kenyatta Ave
>>>>> P.O. Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
>>>>> t: + 254-020-2211960/62 | m: + 254 (0) 789396433 | e:
>>>>> pnyambura at ict.go.ke
>>>>>
>>>>> Visit: www.ict.go.ke
>>>>> Become a fan: www.facebook.com/kenyaictboard
>>>>> Follow us on twitter: @kenyaICTboard
>>>>> ---------------------
>>>>> *Our Vision*: Kenya becomes a top 10 ICT hub
>>>>> *
>>>>> Our Mission*: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and
>>>>> exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and
>>>>> infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment
>>>>> *
>>>>> Our Quality Policy*: Kenya ICT Board is committed to consistently
>>>>> deliver quality ICT services and manage projects that support the growth of
>>>>> Information and Communication Technology, to satisfy the needs and
>>>>> expectations of customers.
>>>>> Kenya ICT Board shall comply with all requirements and continually
>>>>> improve the effectiveness of the Quality Management System. Kenya ICT Board
>>>>> leadership shall establish and review quality objectives in line with this
>>>>> policy and ensure commitment of all employees.
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>>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>>>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>>>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>>
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>>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *----------------------------------------------------
>> Kind Regards,
>> Evans Ikua,*
>> lanetconsulting.com,
>> lpi-eastafrica.org,
>> ict-innovation.fossfa.net,
>> Skype: @ikuae
>> Cell: +254-722-955831
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
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>>
>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>
>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>
>
>
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>



-- 
Regards,

John Matogo
Manager
Incubation Centre, @iBizAfrica
Strathmore University
P.O. Box 59857-00200 Nairobi, KENYA
Tel: +254 070 303 4280 (direct line)
Personal Mobile:+254 722 813 533
Twitter: @jmatogo
LinkedIn: http://tinyurl.com/avcn7qu
Web: www.strathmore.edu and http://www.ibizafrica.co.ke/

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