MILESTONE | Somalia Tech Incubator, SIMAD iLab, Now Incubating Almost 50 Startups, Accelerated Over 160 MSMEs in Just 5 Years

The Somali incubator, SIMAD iLab, has recently undergone a substantial upgrade and broadened its services following its significant influence on the local startup ecosystem in the five years since its establishment.

Established in 1999, SIMAD University is a private educational institution located in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Originally offering a variety of undergraduate programs, the university redefined its mission five years ago to become an ‘entrepreneurial university’ with a primary focus on measuring its impact through social initiatives.

As a result, it established a new tech hub called iLab which has:

• Attracted almost 15,000 applications
• Supports more than 8,000 alumni members of the university
• Incubates almost 50 startups
• Created over 500 jobs
• Produced over 150 freelancers
• Manages a micro-finance of $3 million through the generous support of DirectAid

“Introducing SIMAD iLab was a new exercise that was very aligned with our mission of building an entrepreneurial university in Somalia. But what was more exciting was the impact and the numbers achieved in just five years. We really did not expect that quick win.”

– Dr. Dahir Hassan, the Rector of SIMAD University

Seen as a nation-building initiative, iLab was remarkably successful, necessitating further expansion. It had previously undergone two upgrades, with the most recent one inaugurated by the President of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The latest upgrade, introduced by H.E. Farah Sheikh Abdikadir, the Minister of Education, Culture, and Higher Education of the Federal Republic of Somalia, introduces novel features to the Somali innovation ecosystem. This enhancement positions it as one of the most technologically advanced innovation hubs on the African continent.

The new upgrade features include:

• An innovation theater – A platform for entrepreneurs, thought leaders and experts to exchange ideas and foster knowledge sharing
• A creative digital studio – Cutting-edge tools and technology to enable young entrepreneurs to explore and develop their creative ideas. A space for storytelling for Somalia’s innovation ecosystem
• An executive space – A space built for bringing Somalia’s civil servants and private sector leaders on board to create synergy and build an inclusive and thriving innovation ecosystem together.
• A dedicated space for startups and MSMEs – An enabling environment for startups and MSMEs to build the next unicorns for Somalia

“Humans perform best when they tap into their potential. And this new executive arena is a testimony of what Somalis can do when the playing field is leveled for them.” Said H.E. Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, the Minister of Education, Culture, and Higher Education of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

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