Inside the tech hub movement: In-depth lessons from a global mobile entrepreneurship initiative

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

“The technology startup scene has grown from zero to hundred in the last three years”, a Mobile Monday co-founder in Bangkok recently told us. Amazingly, the same statement could have been made in Bogota, Kampala, Kingston or Tbilisi (Check out a collection of videos that tell the stories of these mobile startups). Fueled by better and better ICT and mobile Internet infrastructure as well as lower barriers to entry, tech entrepreneurship is on the rise globally, and the World Bank and others are increasingly looking to leverage the trend to foster sustained economic and social development.

In the U.S. and Europe, startup accelerators have been the flavor of the day, whereas in Africa, Asia, and other emerging markets, entrepreneurial buzz was driven more by the rise of tech hubs. For those new to the topic: Tech hubs connect stakeholder groups, leverage resources, and fill gaps in innovation ecosystems, all for the ultimate benefit of grassroots, early-stage entrepreneurs who develop technological solutions like mobile applications.

There is no cookie cutter approach to building a tech hub. Having been involved with several entrepreneurial communities around the world, we can say that tech hubs come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the available people and resources and on the needs of the ecosystem.

Implementation models range from regular meet-ups to co-working spaces with tiered membership, as well as sector-specific startup enablers such as infoDev’s network of mLabs and mHubs. As is the case for startups supported by the hubs, building a well-oiled machine with a business model that can run on its own takes vision and courage from tech hub leadership, while testing hypotheses to learn and iterate is crucial.

Source: The World Bank (link opens in a new window)

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Health Care
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healthcare technology, public health, social enterprise