Ethio telecom launches its Ethiotel innovation program which is devised to empower our nation’s technology-based startups!
ADDIS ABABA (Ethio telecom) – Ethio telecom has been deploying various technologies and value adding services that can assure the overall growth of Ethiopia. Especially recently, the company have capitalized on implementing digital solutions beyond connectivity services to digitize, accelerate and empower individuals’ and enterprises’ day-to-day business activities.
As part and parcel of this very initiative, Ethio telecom has designed and officially launched its Ethiotel innovation program on 6th February 2023 that would empower and support the nation’s digital finance and technological businesses and innovators far beyond its all-rounded efforts to expand and modernize services.
Ethiotel innovation program is designed to be implemented in three chapters mainly to address the challenges that any startup businesses would face over time, such as market penetration, customer attraction and retention, acquiring experts and finance etc. and enable business ideas at conception to be realized and existing startups to grow.
In addition to this, the program will encourage local solutions and problem-solving practices, to attract skilled talent, inspire the youth, help people develop new skills, support the development of creative ideas, and commercialization of new products that benefit the community as well as to create a collaborative environment for tech startups, technology partners, and industry players to bring their best and realize digital Ethiopia.
The program consists of Support and Commercialization packages. The Support Package would enable the winners to obtain telecom resources, financial and in-kind support, marketing support, training, mentoring, coaching, networking, and experience sharing. The Commercialization Package would also enhance the winners in building the ecosystem and gain support and joint venture for products/services rollout to the market.
Ethio telecom has kicked off the first phase of the program on 6th February 2023 which will be implemented from 10th February to 30th April 2023, focuses on startups that leverage cloud and mobile financial service capability. In this phase of the competition, top 100 winners will be engaged in solving the challenges and limitations they face, ensure their business continuity as well as immediately implement finance and cloud business ideas into action.
The selected top 100 winner startups will obtain professional, expertise, financial, and material support and, in collaboration with Ethio telecom’s technology partner Huawei Technologies, will also receive sponsorship to travel to China and acquire international experiences.
The second phase of the program will be implemented from 20th March – 30th July 2023 and beyond finance and the technology sector, the program will emphasis on the implementation of digital contents, solutions, services, analytics, consumer and business applications of selected top 150 startup businesses.
The last phase of the innovation program will begin in August 2023 and will capitalize on institutionalization of the businesses and innovations. Particularly, Ethio telecom will establish TechHub center as well as take best practices from phase 1 & 2 and build research and development center.
As a designer of this innovation program and key player in the ecosystem, Ethio telecom, in collaboration with partners, will avail facilities to incubate, train, and empower startups/tech-entrepreneurs for the creation of competitive national capacity, build innovation, and co-creation platform, create an enabling environment for the digital eco system, supporting projects that address social problems, and promote social developments along with partners, thereby positively impacting the development of digital ecosystem and meeting the initiative of the nation to be a startups hub in the continent.
Source: Ethio telecom