From Code to Compassion: How Tech-Driven Initiatives Initiatives Are Shaping the Future of Innovation (Part II)
How Tech Initiatives are Making a Difference 🎇🔥
Hello 🤗 Dear Innovator
It’s a beautiful Saturday here at Consonance Club, and even more appealing is the fact that it’s that time of the day when you get to chill with us at the club.
In case you missed our Midweek Check-in, let us fill you in on the exciting news you missed.
In our last newsletter, we gave flowers to the NGOs and Social Initiatives that make tech an accessible commodity, as opposed to being a luxury good while still regarding it as the new oil. They earned it with their grit and resilience in the African marketplace. We no longer have to pay through the nose on other platforms because we know they have our backs.
We reported on Wednesday that the flowers🌹🌸 were well received in your inboxes according to our reports from our senior logistic partner Substack. The statistics say that in 4 days (96 hours) over 3,200 and counting were still opening up these boxes of well-curated flowers for these NGOs with excitement.
As a result of these mindblowing figures, it is no news that the Stats have hijacked the wheels 🎡 and are now in control 🛂 .
Last week, we examined the stories and operations of Tech4Dev and Inggressive4Good. Today, we’ll be picking up right where we left off while discussing some other tech-driven initiatives. They are not NGOs, but they have earned their place among the heroes who back up the dreams of visionary leaders like you. We are set to start handing them their flowers …
…but not without a meme from Tech Twitter
There are several technology-focused non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Nigeria. We say non-governmental because they share no ties with government-related activities, projects, and the like. They are not necessarily registered as NGOs, but let’s just say they are NGOs at heart.
These organizations work on various aspects of technology, including education, innovation, digital literacy, and technology-driven solutions for social problems. Here are two non-government-related ventures that crossed our radar.
Ventures Platform Foundation (VPF)
This is one, you know and most likely love. Some say you have no business with VPF (as it is fondly called) if you are not a founder. Fair enough, but those who say so probably don’t know the Ventures Platform Foundation we know. Yes, they invest capital in startups, and so do they invest wisdom in young champs.
Ventures Platform Foundation (VPF) is a social impact-driven venture capital firm and an innovation hub based in Nigeria. VPF focuses on investing in and supporting early-stage technology startups in Africa. They provide funding, mentorship, and other resources to help startups grow and scale their businesses.
Let’s zoom in on mentorship a bit here. Anyone familiar with the fundraising sector for African startups knows that it’s a widely competitive space. How then does Ventures Capital Platform manage to make a space for everyone?
VPF has a portfolio that contains past and present relationships with startups, and the list is truly unending. From Paystack to Printivo and all other startups in between, everyone seems to have business with VPF.
They invest from pre-seed to Series A and across several sectors, we are bullish on Financial Services and Insurance, Life Science and Health tech, Edtech and Digital Talent Accelerators, Enterprise SaaS, Digital Infrastructure Plays, Agri-Tech, and Food Security.
So you see?
In addition to their investment activities, Ventures Platform Foundation also operates as an innovation hub, offering physical space and a community for entrepreneurs and startups to connect, collaborate, and access various support services. The hub provides networking opportunities, training programs, and access to a network of mentors and industry experts.
It is said that they are "There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen”, and so are the networking opportunities and access to mentors and industry experts at VPF described.
While Ventures Platform Foundation has a social impact focus and supports startups working on solutions for social problems, it is not classified as an NGO, but rather a private organization with a mission to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the technology sector.
Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB)
Everyone should have a CcHub (as it is fondly called) in their life, and it goes without saying that we are grateful to have CcHub as a part of the social enterprises shaping the future of innovation.
Why should everyone have a CcHub, or better yet what is CcHub? I refuse to believe that you live under a rock.
Anyhoo, I’ll spare you the Google search, so here you go…
Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) is a technology innovation hub and social enterprise based in Nigeria. CcHUB aims to accelerate the application of technology solutions for social and economic development. It provides a collaborative workspace and resources for tech startups, entrepreneurs, and innovators to collaborate, learn, and build solutions.
If you knew this, give yourself a high five
CcHUB offers various programs and initiatives to support the tech ecosystem in Nigeria. These include incubation programs, pre-seed and seed funding opportunities, mentorship, and access to a network of experts and investors. CcHUB focuses on sectors such as education, healthcare, governance, and agriculture, leveraging technology to drive positive social impact.
Additionally, CcHUB runs innovation challenges and hackathons to encourage problem-solving and innovation within the community. They also organize events, workshops, and training programs to enhance skills and knowledge in areas such as coding, design thinking, and entrepreneurship.
If you have been in search of a hub to call home, search no further, cause you might just have hit the jackpot with CcHub!
CcHUB has played a significant role in supporting and nurturing tech startups in Nigeria, contributing to the growth of the country's technology ecosystem and promoting social innovation.
Ours is the 20% of the job, which we have delivered, and yours as the innovator is the 80% of the research you need to do. We hope this inspires you, that as an innovator, there’s all the support you need to thrive right in front of you.
Innovator Of The Week
Lawal Oluwatimileyin popularly known as Timmy is the CEO and Co-founder. Gbale has a whole team, but he is the founding brain behind the innovation.
Gbale aims to make a significant impact on Nigerians and contribute to the development of the country's housing sector. We believe that our innovative approach can help to address the housing deficit crisis and provide affordable housing for those in need.
Realizing that they needed to pivot from being a marketing place to creating the spaces has been the highlight of the journey so far, for Timmy. And 31 apartments down the line, the pivot was worth every second of it.
To the budding innovator still sitting on the fence, the Gbale founder says “Get your fact right before starting out, don't quit your job, and get a good mentor.”
That sounds an awful lot like speaking from experience 😃.
With Lawal at the helm, Gbale is poised to disrupt the traditional accommodation sector, empowering individuals and transforming the way Africans experience travel and lodging.
What more can we say 🤷♀️ than “watch this space 👉” Find out more about Gbale
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Ilara Health is hiring a Senior Software Engineer and a WordPress Developer (On-site) in Nairobi, Kenya
KOKO Networks - Senior Technology Product Manager: KOKO Labs - Kenya (Hybrid)
ENGIE Energy Access (Africa) is hiring a Customer Finance Data Analyst in Kampala, Uganda
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