Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
Raino Tech4Impact took part in the Alibaba Global Initiative 7th eFounders Fellowship at Alibaba Headquarters in Hangzhou, China. The eFounders Fellowship program is jointly organized by Alibaba Business School and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Raino Tech4Impact was among 30 start-ups from Sub-Saharan Africa that received first-hand exposure to e-commerce and digital innovations, access to business leaders across Alibaba and China, and an opportunity to connect with leading entrepreneurs from Africa.
The two-week intensive program aimed to shape Champions of the New Economy and gave Raino Tech4Impact an opportunity to study the inclusive economies concept of Taobao Villages. The Taobao Village concept saw rural China generate $195 billion worth of e-commerce sales in 2018, outpacing China's overall e-commerce market. Raino Tech4Impact seeks to apply some of these lessons by leveraging technology to support rural communities in Kenya.
The fellowship included visits to Jack Ma's apartment in Hangzhou, the birthplace of Alibaba, and Cainiao's smart logistics warehouses, which featured impressive robots and fully automated systems. Raino Tech4Impact's Managing Director also met Alibaba Group Vice President Brian Wong. The team looked forward to the partnership opportunities Alibaba was creating in Africa through the US$1 million Africa Netpreneur Prize.
