Appfrica (sometimes referred to as Appfrica Labs) is a market research and technology firm founded by current CEO Jon Gosier[2] in 2008 in Kampala, Uganda.[3] The firm has been responsible for a number of technology initiatives responsible for promoting Africa's technology sector including HiveColab, Apps4Africa,[4] HiveColab, QuestionBox[5][6] and for helping Google Africa translate its page for Ugandan audiences.[7]

Appfrica
IndustryBusiness incubator
Founded2008[1]
FounderJon Gosier
Headquarters
Websiteappfrica.com

Appfrica helps multinational firms do business in African markets by helping them understand consumer behavior, find local partners, and hire local talent.

Incubation, Apps4Africa, and HiveColab

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Appfrica is one of the oldest technology incubators in Africa, founded in 2008.[8] In 2010 Africa spun out its incubation services into two new initiatives Apps4Africa and HiveColab. Apps4Africa began as a series of competitions that were launched in partnership with the U.S. Department of State. Later Apps4Africa announced an Acceleration program for African tech startups. HiveColab was founded as a free collaborative workspace in Kampala, Uganda that helped African technologists learn about tech and entrepreneurship. HiveColab is funded by Appfrica, IndigoTrust, and Hivos.

Open Data and Statfrica

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In 2013 Appfrica turned much of the research it has collected about Africa into Statfrica.com an online repository of information and open data for businesses, researchers and students.[9][10]

References

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  1. ^ Zouhali-Worrall, Malika (16 April 2017). "Building tech companies in the land of dialup". CNN Money. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  2. ^ "An Interview with Appfrica Founder Jon Gosier".
  3. ^ "Uniting a diaspora is, by its very nature, a big challenge".
  4. ^ "Creators of "Apps 4 Africa" Contest Discuss the Ideas Behind It".
  5. ^ "Fellows Friday with Rose Shuman".
  6. ^ Gunn, Dwyer (9 August 2009). "African Entrepreneurs". Freakonomics. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  7. ^ "Bridging the Communication Gap in Uganda: Appfrica Labs".
  8. ^ "Fellows Friday with Jon Gosier".
  9. ^ "Market Research Firm Appfrica Introduces Statfrica, An Open Data Repository About Africa". TechLoy. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  10. ^ "How Big Data Solves the Toughest of Africa's Problems: Q&A with Appfrica Founder Jon Gosier".