BrazilKenya-based iHub launches software consulting practice
Kenya-based innovative technology organisation iHub has re-launched its software consulting practice, following a brief hiatus, during which time the firm was relocating and re-aligning its operations. The consulting practice, which operates in a highly unique fashion, will provide user experience, design, and software development services.
iHub is a one-of-its-kind network for technology experts to interact, exchange ideas, and promote local innovation in the tech domain. The network was founded in Nairobi in 2010, and has since amassed more than 16,000 members, hailing from the technology and entrepreneurial communities.
iHub views itself as an ecosystem, which hopes to act as a catalyst for digital innovation, challenging the status quo and setting an example for markets across Africa, which are becoming increasingly active in the online domain. In recent years, the network made a move into the consulting space with the launch of its software consulting practice.
As the tech space in Africa expands, the number of willing investors in technology is on the rise. In 2016, iHub managed to draw enough investment to upgrade its operations, whereby it moved to a new working space, which diverted attention away from the consulting practice. Now, the network has decided to re-launch the practice, with the aim of delivering cost-effective and highly innovative solutions to clients in the software arena.
What is particularly striking about iHub’s consulting practice is its highly innovative and loose structure. In essence, the firm has a small team of tech experts dedicated to developing software solutions. In the event that any of these solutions ends up gaining popularity, the developers are encouraged to break off and take them up on a full-time basis.
As explained by Mary Gicharu, Managing Director at iHub; “Unlike most consultancies who focus on retaining talent for their team, we see our role as developing talent for the ecosystem as a whole. It is a success when a software engineer hones their skills on our team and then launches as an integral part of a successful product team.” The model has already gained accolades from the international tech community, in the form of a finalist award in the MIT Innovation Inclusion Challenge.
The practice is set to run independently from iHub, and will cater to the startup, NGO, and corporate sectors alike. Operationally, the ethos of the consulting practice revolves around user experience research, which ensures that the output is not generic but user-centric. In addition, the firm employs a unique design sprint tactic, which involves quick testing of solutions over 2-5 days.
The consulting practice will be led by Heath Arsenen, who has over a decade of experience in software services in Kenya as well as in the Middle East, alongside Kennedy Krirui and Mutugi Mnarobi. Kirui has a background in user experiences services, while Mutugi has been involved with a number of Kenyan startups over the years.
