The Coolest Tech Incubator in the World is in Uganda

Published February 20, 2009 @ 08:49AM PT

From the Appfrica-sponsored Facebook Developers Garage in Kampala

"Intelligence and effort and dreams...are equally distributed throughout the world. But systems of investment and opportunity aren’t, and that people who are given the chance to make something of their lives and to rebuild their countries and communities will more often please you than disappoint you if they have a system where there is a predictable connection between the effort they make and the result they get."

Bill Clinton, on Larry King Live 9/28/08

The coolest tech incubator in the world is in Uganda. Ever since I heard about Jon Gosier and Appfrica Labs year I've been thrilled to see it grow and develop. Jon is building a tech incubator for Ugandan web developers in the heart of Kampala. For much of the last year, he has been incubating talent by bringing in contract work through which he hires developers part time.

But today, he formally announced that Kuv Capital has funded the project, enabling Jon to open up an office and hire a number of developers full time. I've been waiting to write this post for weeks. I think that this makes Kuv Capital the smartest small venture capital firm in the world.

All over the world, there are people discovering the connective power of digital communication and the excitement of entrepreneurship. If you want to know how the internet is going to evolve in the developing world, ask them. Google may be laying down the pipes to make the data flow, but it's local African developers who are going to see the intersection between what their communities and cities need, and what the web can do.

The "risk" may be high in the sense that these are relatively untested waters, but the actual amount of resources needed versus the potential reward makes that risk, in my book, just about the

Jon writes:

A while back, Erik Hersman wrote “There is a Problem with Seed Capital in Africa“, touching on the fact that foreign firms aren’t any more interested in investing in Africa any more than Africans are. Ultimately it should be African businessmen who are fostering this movement, but they aren’t. It’s often a place where wealth is guarded or abused, but all too often, not reinvested in it’s own. That’s how you end up with billionaire politicians in literally some of the poorest nations on the planet.

When it comes to VCs in America and Europe, “Investors don’t invest in businesses, they invest in people,” is a mantra commonly heard from Investors and MBAs alike. What then, does that say about Africa which is really lacking any sort of major VC community? Does it mean there’s a lack of faith (or trust) in people here? Definitely. But until there are more success stories, until there are more Ushahidis, Afrigators and Synthasites, until people take a leap of faith and don’t get burned, that mentality will remain. It’s up to Africa, and only Africa to change it.

On that note, I’d like to thank Kuv Capital for taking that leap with me and supporting entrepreneurs in forgotten markets around the world.

Do yourself a favor, email Jon and ask how you can buy in.

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Comments (6)

Thanks for the post. we at kuv capital are really exicted. this investment reflect our investment philosophy: trust our instinct and invest in people, never believe a spreasheet.

Posted by Herve Cuviliez on 02/20/2009 @ 10:26AM PT
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Thanks for writing Herve! I can just hear the cheer (or is it chill?) of MBAs everywhere reading that statement.

Posted by Nathaniel Whittemore on 02/20/2009 @ 11:51AM PT
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i appreciate that you want to give the african people a chance. i think that with patience and a long-term view of success, you and they can acheive great things.

you said that the success of venture capitol in africa is strictly up to the africans. i like that you take the non-vitim approach, as this is ultimately the most powerful in terms of having a successful attitude. but we must also take into account the constant interference posed by industrialized nations meddling with thier politics, while the world bank and imf meddle with their economics (and all for the sake of big business).

i just ask that you please keep this in mind when assessing the obstacles. their rulers are the problem, but they're just the tip of the iceburn, propped up by far greater powers working beneath the surface. fixing africa takes both conscious investing and outspoken activism.

Posted by joe benham on 02/21/2009 @ 05:53PM PT
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I am excited about what the internet can do for entrepreneurs in Africa. I am a regular user of elance.com and through that service, can easily utilize a web developer in Uganda or any other African country. This is how we are going to tackle disease and poverty in Africa - through empowerment of Africans themselves - not through handouts. I have thought of doing something similar in Zimbabwe (where I am originally from, live in the US now), but there is always issues with reliable internet access, electricity, etc.

Posted by Joleen Ruffin on 02/22/2009 @ 02:49PM PT
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Great job!

Posted by Erwan Guiriec on 02/22/2009 @ 05:14PM PT
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I had the chance to work with Hervé Cuvilliez in the last years : this guy has a truly instinctive and human view of business ! Congratulations for this beautiful and certainly successful venture initiative !

Posted by Christophe Leon on 02/23/2009 @ 08:53AM PT
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Author

Nathaniel is the founding Director of the Center for Global Engagement at Northwestern University, which works annually with hundreds of students in dozens of countries around the world through curricular programs and student project incubation.