Bill Zimmerman

AfriLabs exists to support the growth of communities around African technology hubs and to encourage expansion of the network by providing tools and resources for new and emerging labs.

Sanaga Ventures invests in and supports new and emerging ventures in Sub-Saharan Africa and builds the capacity of its partners to the point where they can achieve financial sustainability and critical mass in their operations. Our objective is to select high-potential entrepreneurs to engage in our network and work closely with these partners to create an attractive opportunity for the investment community.

VC4Africa exists to connect African entrepreneurs with the network, knowledge and capital they need to build successful businesses. Our core belief is that entrepreneurship should be the main driver in Africa’s economic growth, in particular the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that provide much of Africa’s employment and income. SMEs contribute around two thirds of national income and provide the foundation for a stable middle class in many African countries. From humble beginnings in 2007, VC4Africa has grown organically into what is now the largest online community dedicated to entrepreneurs and investors building companies on the continent.

ActivSpaces is an open collaboration space, innovation hub and startup incubator for African techies. We are a community of tech entrepreneurs, coaches and mentors who provide a springboard to launch ideas forward together faster. Through our network we are able to connect startups with the partners, finance and resources needed to build successful technology-based ventures.

Worked with staff at the Teachers' Resource Center to build computing resources and train teachers in ICT pedagogy. Developed curriculum and led classes on software engineering fundamentals, created a digital library and lectured on special topics at teacher training events, conferences and the University of Buea. Networked with and advised technology entrepreneurs.

SushiFinder began as an experiment in mapping and location-based services that grew into a thriving online community. In partnership with AT&T and Cingular Wireless, SushiFinder was deployed to 40+ million subscribers and became one of the top mobile platforms for restaurant reviews in the U.S. Exited in 2005.

Core team member of the Advanced Product Development group for Visio.