Africa Technology Business Network

What Africa Technology Business Network does

Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN) is a Community Interest Company (C.I.C.) registered in the United Kingdom and founded in 2017 by Eunice Ball. The organization describes itself as a social impact research and delivery organization working towards inclusive digital transformation in Africa, with deep knowledge of the African digital innovation landscape and operating presence in Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda alongside its London registered office at 49 Greek Street.

ATBN delivers three principal programs: #HerFutureAfrica (launched 2017 in Ghana with Women in Tech Africa) trains and mentors young African women building tech-enabled businesses, reporting outcomes of 32 entrepreneur participants, $35,000+ raised and 300+ women and girls impacted; the Coalition for Digital Equality (CODE, established 2020) is an 18-month UKRI/GCRF-funded research project on the digital gender divide, partnering with universities in the UK, Ghana and Uganda and reporting 200+ stakeholders connected; and AfriConEU (launched 2021) is an EU Horizon 2020-funded transcontinental Networking Academy for African and European Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) delivered through a 10+ partner consortium and reporting 3,000+ DIHs connected, 1,500+ webinar participants, 1,200+ stakeholders at brokerage events and 400+ bootcamp participants with 49% women representation.

The business model is grant-funded rather than commercial. The company operates as a UK company limited by guarantee (C.I.C.) with a 1-10 employee footprint, distributing no product, charging no pricing tiers and earning no disclosed revenue. Income derives from institutional research and innovation funders (European Union Horizon 2020, UKRI, GCRF) routed through consortium partnerships with universities and innovation hubs. Go-to-market is direct: programs are delivered via consortium partners and local hub networks (e.g., Women in Tech Africa, Buni Hub, OutBox, HapaSpace), with awareness generated through the website (africatbn.com), LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, email newsletters, research publications and participation in sector events such as Catalyst 2030 and GSG Impact Summit. Notable recognition includes the 2023 .eu Web Award in The Laurels category for AfriConEU.

Name

Africa Technology Business Network

Legal name

Africa Technology Business Network C.I.C.

Website

https://africatbn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN) is a UK Community Interest Company that delivers grant-funded research and programs — including AfriConEU, CODE and #HerFutureAfrica — to advance inclusive digital transformation, support Digital Innovation Hubs, and empower women tech entrepreneurs across Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Impact Research and Program Delivery

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Policy, Data Governance & Cybersecurity Standards Cooperation (BPADANAH)

Keywords

• Digital inclusion research
• Innovation ecosystem development
• Social impact consulting
• Gender inclusion programs
• Digital transformation services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN) is a UK-registered Community Interest Company that delivers social impact research and program implementation focused on inclusive digital transformation in Africa. It designs and runs projects that build capacity of African and European Digital Innovation Hubs, support women tech entrepreneurs, and address the digital gender divide, funded primarily through grants from institutional development partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AfriConEU: Transcontinental Networking Academy for African and European Digital Innovation Hubs, funded by EU Horizon 2020, connecting and empowering DIHs across both continents.
• Coalition for Digital Equality (CODE)
• #HerFutureAfrica

Products and services

• #HerFutureAfrica A programme empowering young African women with essential skills, mentorship and support to build tech-enabled businesses that address the needs of women and girls. Piloted in Ghana with 32 participants who raised over $35,000 and impacted 300+ women and girls.
• Coalition for Digital Equality (CODE) A network connecting local and global stakeholders to address the digital gender divide and promote sustainable economic growth across Africa, initially operating in Uganda and Ghana with academic partners including University of Leicester, Makerere University Business School, and University of Ghana.
• AfriConEU Networking Academy A transcontinental Networking Academy connecting and empowering more than 3,000 African and European Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) through collaboration, knowledge exchange, capacity building webinars, workshops, and masterclasses, delivered via a consortium of European and African partner organisations.
• Project Design & Implementation Services High-impact project design and delivery services focused on digital gender inclusion and innovation ecosystem development for organisations seeking to create lasting, systemic impact in Africa through technology.
• Research & Insights Rigorous research and in-depth insights based on academically-rooted, practice-led approaches covering African digital ecosystems, Digital Innovation Hub challenges, and digital gender divide.
• Facilitation & Knowledge Sharing Events Dynamic events, workshops, bootcamps, and brokerage events that bring digital ecosystem actors together to co-create solutions and share knowledge, including design thinking bootcamps across Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3000+ African and European DIHs connected through AfriConEU Networking Academy
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• INOVA+coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese innovation management company and AfriConEU consortium partner, contributing to the transcontinental Networking Academy for African and European DIHs.
• Emerging Communities AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNigerian partner in AfriConEU consortium, supporting digital innovation hub development across African countries.
• Youthmakers HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreek youth organization and AfriConEU consortium partner, providing expertise in youth engagement and digital innovation.
• Porto Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese business school and AfriConEU consortium partner, contributing research and education expertise.
• OutBoxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUgandan innovation hub and AfriConEU consortium partner, representing East African digital ecosystem perspectives.
• DpixelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian DIH network and AfriConEU consortium partner, contributing European digital innovation ecosystem expertise.
• StimmulicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreek organization and AfriConEU consortium partner focused on innovation and digital transformation.
• ITC (International Training Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlovenian partner in AfriConEU consortium, contributing to capacity building initiatives.
• Buni HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTanzanian innovation hub and AfriConEU consortium partner, representing East African digital ecosystem.
• HapaSpacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhanaian innovation hub and AfriConEU consortium partner, contributing West African perspective to digital innovation ecosystem development.
• University of LeicestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK academic partner for the Coalition for Digital Equality (CODE) project, providing research expertise on digital gender divide.
• Makerere University Business School (MUBS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUgandan academic partner in CODE project, contributing local expertise on East African digital ecosystems.
• University of Ghana (UG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhanaian academic partner in CODE project, contributing West African research perspectives.
• Gender and Policy Insights (GenPol)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner specializing in gender and policy for the CODE project addressing digital gender inequality.
• Women in Tech AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading network of female tech entrepreneurs across Africa, co-founding partner of #HerFutureAfrica program empowering young African women in tech entrepreneurship.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Andela: Andela trains and places African software developers into global tech roles, sharing ATBN's focus on African tech talent development. While more commercially oriented, it competes for similar partners, funders, and ecosystem visibility.
• iHub (Nairobi): iHub is one of Africa's longest-running innovation hubs, providing incubation, community, and research programmes for African tech entrepreneurs. Comparable in hub-development and ecosystem-building activity, with deeper on-the-ground infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• GSMA: GSMA operates large-scale mobile industry development programmes across Africa, including digital inclusion, gender equality (Connected Women Commitment), and innovation hub initiatives — directly comparable mission and beneficiary base to ATBN, but with materially larger budget and staff.
• UN Women: UN Women runs global programmes on digital gender inclusion and women's economic empowerment, intersecting ATBN's digital gender divide focus. Functions as a much larger incumbent with global mandate and recurring UN funding.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): GIZ runs ICT4D and digital skills programmes across Africa, often funded by BMZ and EU. Comparable in ICT4D thematic focus and donor-funded delivery model, though with substantially larger budgets and government backing.

Direct peers

• Women in Tech Africa: Women in Tech Africa is a pan-African network supporting female tech entrepreneurs — ATBN's #HerFutureAfrica co-founding partner. It is the most directly comparable peer in mission, beneficiary segment, and programme design.
• Smart Africa Alliance: Smart Africa is an inter-governmental alliance advancing digital transformation across African member states through policy advocacy and innovation ecosystem programmes. It overlaps with ATBN's mission of strengthening African digital innovation hubs and cross-continental collaboration.
• Tony Elumelu Foundation: Tony Elumelu Foundation is a pan-African entrepreneurship empowerment programme providing seed capital, mentorship, and skills training to African entrepreneurs — directly comparable to ATBN's #HerFutureAfrica in beneficiary focus and capacity-building model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/africatbn
• Facebookfacebook.com/africatbn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/africa-technology-business-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Africa Technology Business Network