Hipipo, a homegrown digital advocate has been listed among the 20 leading companies in the world— helping to support the development of innovation in the Fintech and digital space
Hipipo, the only African firm on America-based Global Business Leaders Magazine’s list was praised for championing digital innovation and financial inclusion across Africa under their Include Everyone programme.
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The Ugandan company was listed alongside Naborforce, Helpware, Proximity Space, Gulf Data Hub, SMT Energy and Motus Inc. among others.
The Global Business Leaders Magazine described Hipipo as a leading digital age organization, keen to promote secure digital financial services.
“The company is a long-established champion of digital innovation and financial inclusion and is known for championing digital innovation, FinTech, and instant and inclusive payments systems (IIPS) across Africa under the Include Everyone Program,” the Global Business Leaders Magazine wrote.
It added: ” The humble beginnings of HiPipo merging ICT with sectors like music eventually pushed HiPipo into more sector research as well-and the team has since done studies and released reports-in which among other deliverables, it rated the top 1000 taxpayers’ online presence. From the ripple effects of music charts to events to community work to growing the digital media industry in East Africa and now financial inclusion and technology, HiPipo has successfully scaled a fascinating journey with the satisfaction to be a part of the modernizing shift.”
HiPipo chief executive officer, Innocent Kawooya says that the ranking is testament to the company’s 18-years’ journey of championing inclusion for everyone.
“It is always refreshing to see our work appreciated by reputable organizations such as the Global Business Leaders Magazine. These are indeed fruits of a dedicated team determined to change the lives of people, especially found at the bottom of the pyramid,” Mr Kawooya said.
Founded in 2005, HiPipo was started by a team of young enterprising minds who came together with the desire to change and excitement about billboard charts and people awards.
It began by promoting local music using digital means and awards. The firm eventually started the HiPipo Music Awards in 2012. Through their Include Everyone programme, the company first organized the Digital Impact Awards Africa in 2013 which eventually led to initiation of other programmes focused on low-income digital users, special interest groups such as women, PWDs, rural organizations, and small formal and informal businesses.
Headquartered in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb, the company has been able to conceptualize and actualize several sector-changing initiatives to put Africa’s digital innovators on the required pedestal to help them solve problems.
These include the 40-Days-40-FinTechs and FinTech Landscape Exhibition; the Women-In-FinTech Hackathon, Summit and Incubator; and one of the continent’s most distinguished awards for digital innovation – the Digital Impact Awards Africa (DIAA).
Mr Kawooya says that their initiatives and related activities, publications, and implementations have put the company among the most important conveners of the various players/stakeholders in the FinTech and digital financial services space.
“In future, we strive to continue doing our best. We are planning to implement and scale initiatives on the continent that increase the number of African women in leadership positions through efforts such as the Women-In-FinTech Hackathon, Summit, and Incubator. With financial exclusion persisting in Africa due to various reasons, HiPipo is aiming to accelerate its advocacy for the demand of creating instant and inclusive payment systems across Africa,” he said.
HiPipo has excelled with the generous sponsorship of organizations and foundations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the technical input of Level One
Project, Cyberplc Academy, Modusbox,
Mojaloop Foundation, Crosslake Technologies, Ideation Corner and many more.
