Microsoft enters into cooperation agreements to accelerate African innovation

While attending DEMO Africa, Microsoft Corp. announced strategic cooperation agreements with three incubator organizations across the African continent to enable startups,

innovators and Africa’s developer community to grow their skills and build businesses with Microsoft technologies. Under the recently launched Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative, Microsoft has entered into agreements with CcHUB in Nigeria, DTBi in Tanzania and AfriLabs, the pan-African hub network.

The cooperation aims to offer the communities working in these hubs increased access to software, skills development opportunities and a means through which innovative startups can access capital investment, benefit from international outreach and scale their businesses to the world through Microsoft’s cloud computing solutions.

The Co-Creation Hub, or CcHUB as it is commonly known, is Nigeria’s first innovation lab and pre-incubation space designed to catalyze creative social technology ventures. It is a place for technologists, social entrepreneurs, government and investors in and around Lagos to co-create new solutions to address business opportunities and social needs in Nigeria.

The Dar Teknohama Business Incubator, commonly known as DTBi, is a registered and autonomous entity established by the Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology to promote information and communication technology (ICT) innovation and entrepreneurship, contributing to job creation and enhanced economic health in Tanzania.

AfriLabs is a network organization that connects incubator hubs across the continent in order to promote the growth and development of the African technology sector. AfriLabs has 20 member organizations in Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.

In addition, the partnership with AfriLabs will support the development of sustainable and scalable working environments across the continent, such as technology hubs and incubation centers, to stimulate entrepreneurship and support African startups. Microsoft will work with AfriLabs to help startups working in these hubs become successful technology companies driving innovation, employability, competitiveness and growth in Africa.

Source: Microsoft News - See more at: http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/en/issue-no-678/computing/microsoft-enters-int/en#sthash.HiGIZkGe.dpuf