MD of A.J. Ventures
Speaker
An entrepreneur & investor based in Ethiopia, Hiruy Amanuel is a co-founder and managing director of A.J. Ventures in Portola Valley, California. Of Ethiopian descent, he is passionate about education in Africa.
In 2016, he embarked on start-up life in Ethiopia to develop a skilled workforce and thriving technology industry across the continent by investing in and co-founding Gebeya Inc., Africa’s first Pan-African software training institution and talent marketplace. With a mission to give technology training to an African population with raw talent and ambition, but limited in resources and education; it has expanded across East and West Africa to Kenya, London, & Senegal. Lasting 4-6 months long they focus on Mobile App, Front-End, DevOps & Back-end Development, UI & UX design, & blockchain.
In 2020, Gebeya raised a $2M seed round from international investors and telcos, the first tech company in Ethiopia to do so. Currently Amanuel is advising African tech startups and companies working closely to get them investment ready and to continue to contribute to the ever-changing tech ecosystem in Africa.
Amanuel has expanded and primarily focuses his interests to African technology markets. Of Ethiopian descent, he is passionate about education in Africa, he has long supported efforts to build healthcare and educational infrastructure in the Horn of Africa. In 2016, Amanuel co-founded an entrepreneurial venture in Ethiopia to develop a skilled workforce and thriving technology industry across the continent, with a particular focus on the gaming and software development sub-sectors.