Creating Sustainable Businesses

Open Innovation Africa Summit 2

22 May 2012 | The stage is set for more than 200 of Africa’s top policy makers, developers, entrepreneurs and private enterprises to engage in three days of intense debate at the Open Innovation Africa Summit (OIAS) held at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. In the days leading to the event, we will update this page with relevant information and news. More

Unlocking mobile phones for job creation

16 May 2012 | India’s Aadhar Bhalinge is the winner of the $20,000 grand prize of m2Work, a World Bank-sponsored online competition seeking the best ideas for spurring the job-creation potential of mobile phones. The online challenge, organized by Nokia and infoDev, drew a total of 939 ideas, 96% of which came from developing and emerging economies. More

MedAfrica a finalist for Ericsson App Awards

26 April 2012 | MedAfrica—a Kenya-based mobile medical directory and knowledge bank—advanced this week to the final round of the Ericsson Application Awards, earning exposure within the telecommunications world and a shot at the grand prize of €15,000. More

m2Work challenge down to the final six

25 April 2012 | After intense rounds of deliberation, the m2Work challenge announced today the six finalists who will receive a cash prize of $2,000, business coaching, a platform to pitch their ideas to the grand jury—including mobile and startup experts—and the chance to win the grand prize of $20,000. More

infoDev initiative to strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystem in ECA

11 April 2012 | As part of the “Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy” program—a joint initiative with Nokia and the government of Finland—infoDev is rolling out a series of measures to deliver stronger networking platforms, financing tools, and regulatory environments for tech entrepreneurs in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA). More

m2Work challenge closes at 944 ideas

3 April 2012 | m2Work, an online innovation challenge by Nokia and infoDev, closed yesterday at 944 idea submissions after the competition’s single biggest weekend. According to the organizers, the steady rise in the quality and rate of submissions points to a growing understanding of mobile microwork among tech enthusiasts and potential entrepreneurs worldwide. More

Ecofiltro: A thirst for social enterprise

2 April 2012 | In an exemplary showing of what a sound business model can do for a social mission, Guatemala-based Ecofiltro—a supplier of green, affordable household water filtration systems—opened a new manufacturing plant last week, employing over 110 people and clearing a path for future international expansion. More

infoDev network member wins prestigious MPA Ringmasters Award

28 March 2012 | MafutaGo, a woman-led mobile and web startup launched by five Ugandan students, recently won the coveted Ringmasters Award at the Mobile Premier Awards (MPA), the largest open and global cross-platform app competition in the mobile industry. More

mLab East Africa to host Finland’s Minister for International Development

27 March 2012 | In the last leg of a four-day Kenyan tour, Finland’s Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala will visit mLab East Africa—one of five mobile applications laboratories launched by infoDev and funded by the government of Finland—on Wednesday, March 28. More

Fourth m2Work spot prize announced

23 March 2012 | In the most contested of the four rounds, the m2Work team awarded today the final $1,000 spot prize to Israel-based “Frequent Flyer” for the idea “The Remote Night Watcher,” a model to monitor and process security footage using microwork. More

International TV network features m2Work

19 March 2012 | The Alhurra TV Network, which reaches 37 million weekly viewers across 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), produced a special report on infoDev and Nokia's m2Work challenge, capping a recent surge in participation and grassroots engagement in the event. More

infoDev launches Mekong Women's Entrepreneurship Challenge

9 March 2012 | As part of a broader agenda of inclusive, equitable growth, infoDev and Emerging Markets Consulting (EMC) inaugurated the Mekong Women’s Entrepreneurship Challenge in Lao PDR (MWEC Lao) on International Women's Day, March 8, 2012. More

Growing Food, Products and Businesses

21 February 2012 | A report published today, titled Growing Food, Products and Businesses, sheds new light on the ways in which agribusiness incubators are fostering the modernization and scaling-up of agribusiness in the developing world. More

m2Work: From millions of tasks to thousands of jobs

1 February 2012 | m2Work, which is launched today, is your chance to shape the future of microwork and to make a difference for hundreds of thousands of potential microworkers in developing countries. Microwork refers to small digital tasks people can perform anywhere to supplement their income. More

New Report: Broadband in Turkey

15 December 2011 | According to Turkey's National Broadband Vision study, broadband could boost economic growth by 0.8-1.7 percentage points per year, building economic momentum enabled by an enhanced broadband ecosystem that could create up to 380,000 jobs annually. This report analyzes the obstacles and successes behind Turkey's ICT past and future. More

Cambodia Gets Its First Business Incubator

5 December 2011 | An infoDev team visited Phnom Penh on 18 November 2011 for the launch of the Emerging Markets Entrepreneurs (EME) business incubator, Cambodia’s first experience with business incubation. More

New Report: Broadband in Brazil

29 November 2011 | With 35 million fixed and mobile broadband subscribers, Brazil ranks among the top ten countries worldwide by total number of broadband users. Its large population, however, places the country's broadband penetration outside the top-50 worldwide. This report explores the challenges, opportunities and successes that define Brazil's ICT experience. More

Designing an Agribusiness Innovation Center in Senegal

22 November 2011 | Senegalese stakeholders from the horticulture sector came together during a workshop on November 10, in order to discuss the design of a local agribusiness innovation and entrepreneurship center (AIEC). More

New Report: Broadband in Vietnam

18 November 2011 | Wired broadband in Vietnam has grown over one thousand percent since 2005. While the country has made tremendous achievements in broadband, there are challenges arising from its rapid growth. This report identifies the key factors that have defined Vietnam's broadband trajectory and the broadband challenges of the future. More

Cutting-edge ICT incubator set to unleash entrepreneurship in Tanzania

1 November 2011 | A new ICT business incubator was inaugurated on October 31st by business and government leaders in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The new Dar Teknohama Business Incubator (DTBi) will support local technology-based companies and other young entrepreneurs with high growth potential. More

New Report: Broadband in Morocco

27 October 2011 | Fully one quarter of Moroccan households boast a broadband connection - up from just two percent in 2004. This report seeks to understand Morocco's relatively high broadband adoption while proposing additional areas of focus to move beyond this initial success. More

Exploring agribusiness entrepreneurship in Senegal

12 September 2011 | Report on the second stakeholder workshop held in Saint-Louis on September 6th, 2011 More

infoDev identified as a Leader in Mobile Innovation

19 August 2011 | Pyramid Research recently highlighted infoDev's contribution to supporting and promoting mobile innovation in Africa and the Middle East. More

Exploring the possibility of an ‘Agribusiness Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center’ (AIEC) in Senegal

19 August 2011 | infoDev is designing a new program to help facilitate the start-up and growth of innovative post-harvest agribusiness SMEs that specifically work with raw agricultural products in Senegal. More

Focusing on Broadband Competitiveness in ECA

11 July 2011 | infoDev will conduct two focus groups, one in Yerevan, Armenia (July 12, 2011), and the second in Baku, Azerbaijan (July 14, 2011), on the theme of broadband competitiveness within the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region. More

Teacher Opens Doors for Youth in Botswana using infoDev Business Incubation Training

20 June 2011 | Tommie Hamaluba has spent the majority of his career educating youth in Gaborone, Botswana; he now wants to use his passion for youth empowerment to help former students and other young people to create sustainable ICT-related businesses in his incubation facility- The Global Youth Alliance. More

infoDev helps mLab East Africa select first batch of incubatees

20 June 2011 | infoDev is pleased to be one of the sponsors of the Pivot 25 Mobile Applications Competition and Developer Conference, held in Nairobi, Kenya 14-15 June 2011. More

Finding Links in Global Agribusiness & Entrepreneurship Experiences

16 June 2011 | infoDev gave its Global Forum Agribusiness Deep Dive participants the opportunity to use their knowledge and experience to help each other overcome barriers to Agribusiness sustainability. More

Innovative Agribusiness: A Closer Look at Three Top 50 Winners

16 June 2011 | infoDev is excited to collaborate with three SMEs to promote agribusiness entrepreneurship throughout the developing world. The companies, who are among 20 recipients of the Access to Finance and Markets Awards conferred at the Global Forum, will work closely with infoDev as they develop cutting-edge businesses that increase productivity and competitiveness. More

Mobile Applications for Development Experts Converge at infoDev Global Forum

9 June 2011 | The 4th infoDev Global Forum on Innovation & Technology Entrepreneurship was host to lots of exciting meetings, conversations and demonstrations, including on the topic of mobile applications for development. More

Focusing on Broadband in the South Caucasus

17 May 2011 | On May 24th, infoDev will sponsor the first of three SME focus groups in Tbilisi, Georgia at the local World Bank office. More

Help Decide the Winners of the infoDev Top 50 SME Fair!

9 May 2011 | Now that the infoDev Top 50 SMEs have been selected, we want your input! More

Armenia selected to host regional Mobile Applications Laboratory for ECA

1 May 2011 | infoDev is proud to announce the successful bidder to host the first regional Mobile Applications Laboratory in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus, and Central Asia (ECA) Laboratories as part of our joint program with the Government of Finland and Nokia, Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy. More

Congratulations to the infoDev Top 50 SMEs

18 April 2011 | List of infoDev Top 50 SMEs More

Announcing the infoDev Top 50 SMEs

20 April 2011 | More

4th Global Forum registration & website now open!

17 March 2011 | Go to www.infodevGF.net to register today! More

We're waiting for your application to be an infoDev Top 50 SME!

11 March 2011 | EXTENSION: infoDev is extending it's application deadline until March 31st, 2011! With so much to gain, why not apply today? More

Agribusiness to be showcased at the 4th Global Forum on Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Helsinki - May 30 to June 3

12 February 2011 | The Agribusiness Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at the Global Forum will dedicate a full day to promoting the start-up and growth of innovative SMEs in agribusiness in addition to showcasing agribusiness ventures at the SME fair. More

4th Global Forum on Innovation & Technology Entrepreneurship

8 February 2011 | Participate in an exciting program where you will meet and learn from inspiring people building tomorrow’s most innovative businesses in developing countries. More

Milestones in Creating Sustainable Businesses

27 January 2011 | infoDev, Nokia, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland have forged ahead on mLabs, social networking, business incubation and the upcoming Global Forum! More

Celebrating Incubation in Africa 2011

25 January 2011 | infoDev recently released a new booklet focusing on successful examples of African business incubation and telling the stories of the entrepreneurs behind these sustainable businesses! More

Incubating Talent

12 January 2011 | The southern African regional mobile application lab, based in Pretoria, will provide training and industry links to develop the skills of mobile apps entrepreneurs. More

Finding Development Potential in the Scarcity of the Virtual Economy

14 December 2010 | infoDev held a workshop on December 13 as part of the ICTD2010 conference at Royal Holloway, University of London. More

Converting the Virtual Economy into Development Potential

8 December 2010 | infoDev will hold a workshop on December 13 as part of the ICTD2010 conference at Royal Holloway, University of London. More

infoDev Program Manager Addresses Conference on ICT and Rural Development

1 December 2010 | Valerie D’Costa stresses the importance of addressing challenges to improving rural livelihoods using entrepreneurship and innovation. More

infoDev Awards Six Mobile Social Networking Grants in Africa and Asia

17 November 2010 | infoDev is pleased to announce the first six of eight grants for mobile social networking activities under the Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy program, part of a partnership among infoDev, the Government of Finland, and Nokia. More

Agribusiness Community of Practice Kicks Off in Hyderabad

5 November 2010 | About 50 participants from around the world met in Hyderabad, India on October 26-28 to launch infoDev's Agribusiness Global Community of Practice and to discuss the key challenges, opportunities, and incubation models for agribusiness in developing countries and emerging markets. More

mWomen BOP App Challenge

3 November 2010 | As mobile technologies continue to connect and empower individuals around the world, the GSMA mWomen Programme and Vodafone have teamed up to reach out to women in developing countries by promoting innovation in mobile applications creation. More

Wanting to Solve the World’s Most Pressing Issues?

18 October 2010 | The World Bank is sponsoring an Apps for Development competition which challenges the public to create innovative software applications that move users closer to solving some of the world's most pressing problems. More

Have your say on setting up a mobile applications laboratory in Asia

7 October 2010 | Anyone interested or working in mobile applications in Asia is invited to take part in two free and open focus group meetings; one each in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. More

Mobile Africa Summit Provides Platform for Start-Ups

6 October 2010 | Advertised as “Europe’s largest happening on mobile in Africa”, the Mobile Africa Summit brought 15 different start-ups from Africa to meet with their counterparts in Finland and Europe to share common experiences in building a sustainable business in the mobile space. More

First steps towards a mobile applications lab for Eastern Europe, Caucasus & Central Asia (ECA)

21 September 2010 | In October, the first steps will be taken towards a mobile applications lab for Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Supported by the 'Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy', the infoDev, Finland and Nokia partnership program, two free and open focus group discussions will be held: in Tbilisi on October 5th and in Kiev on October 7th. Mobile applications developers, mobile operators and other stakeholders will put their heads together on how best to create a mobile applications laboratory for the ECA region. More

South Africa and Kenya to host Finland/Nokia African Regional Mobile Application Labs

8 September 2010 | infoDev is proud to announce the successful bidders to host the African Regional Mobile Application Laboratories as part of the Government of Finland and Nokia program, Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy. More

Africa’s Mobile Market Will Go Open Access

24 August 2010 | In the shiny, gadget-obsessed developed world, the centre of gravity has shifted in the mobile market. It’s no longer the handset vendors and carriers who are calling the shots but companies like Apple and Google who are developing phones, operating systems and a developer ecosystem. Suddenly it’s what software apps the mobile device can run and its ease of use dominating the conversation, not what price plan or what operator will allow you to browse in its content “walled garden”. Russell Southwood looks at what implications this will have for operators in Africa and how they will need to learn to live with open access. More

Request for Expressions of Interest: Mobile Social Networking

19 August 2010 | In addition to the competition to select hosts for mobile applications labs under the Creating Sustainable Businesses program, infoDev is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) for Mobile Social Networking Activities in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. More

Update on tender for regional mobile applications lab for Africa

9 July 2010 | As part of the Finland, Nokia, and infoDev program, Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy, infoDev is currently running a competitive tender to select host organization for the establishment of a regional mobile applications lab for Africa. infoDev seeks to identify from the current pool of applicants two host institutions – one in South Africa and the other in East Africa - where the activities of the labs can be situated. More

First steps towards a mobile applications lab for Africa

13 April 2010 | On 27 April, 2010, one of the first steps will be taken toward a mobile applications lab for Africa. Supported by a program of the government of Finland and Nokia, infoDev is holding a focus group discussion that will bring together mobile applications developers, mobile operators and others for brainstorming on how best to create a lab. The discussion will be hosted by iHub, Nairobi’s latest innovation centre. It follows two lively and productive focus groups already held in Kampala, Uganda and Johannesburg, South Africa. More

New social networking hubs to boost African mobile innovation

8 March 2010 | infoDev and the volunteer networking organisation Mobile Monday have launched new social networking hubs in Uganda and Kenya. The chapters are run by volunteers in the mobile sector to encourage innovation, investment, information-sharing and partnership-building. Supported by the Government of Finland and handset manufacturer Nokia, this project harnesses social networking for innovation in mobile applications. It is part of a broader Finland/Nokia programme called "Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy", and is also supported by the Korean Trust Fund for ICT4D. More

infoDev, Finland, Nokia Partner to Support Innovative SMEs

7 January 2010 | Finland, Nokia, and infoDev partner in a €11.9 million program - Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy. The aim: to encourage innovation and competitiveness among SMEs in the information and communication technologies and agribusiness sectors in particular. More

infoDev