NaiLab

{{Short description|Kenyan startup incubator}}

{{More citations needed|date=October 2011}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Nailab

| location = Nairobi, Kenya

| status = active

| formation = {{Start date and years ago|2010|3|1}}{{specify|date=November 2012}}

| purpose = Business incubator

| key_people = {{unbulleted list|Anna Chojnacka|Sam Gichuru|Bart Lacroix}}

| website = {{URL|www.nailab.co.ke}}

}}

Nailab is a Kenyan startup incubator, located in Nairobi,{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jan/05/kenya-technology-entrepreneurs-konza-silicon-savannah | date = 5 January 2015 | accessdate = 20 November 2016 | first = Mark | last = Anderson | newspaper = The Guardian | location = London | title = Kenya's tech entrepreneurs shun Konza 'silicon savannah'}} that was founded in 2010 by [https://www.linkedin.com/in/toneendungu/ Tonee Ndungu] and Bart Lacroix. In 2012 Tonee Ndungu left to found Kytabu, and EdTech company based in Nairobi, Kenya. The company incubates technology-based companies and offers 3–6 months entrepreneurship programs with a focus on growing innovative technology driven ideas.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tapmagonline.com/tap/interview-with-sam-gichuru-ceo-nailab|title = Interview with Sam Gichuru | CEO Nailab}}

Nailab tries to lower the entry barriers for ICT entrepreneurs who want to start and scale their businesses in Kenya. Nailab was launched in 2011 by Nailab Ltd in partnership with the crowdfunding platform 1%CLUB.{{cite news |url=http://www.nailab.co.ke/blog/?p=155l |title=*Nailab Blog Post |author=Tonee Ndungu |date=1 July 2011 |work=Nailab Blog |access-date=1 July 2011}}

Initial funding for Nailab came from angels Sam Gichuru, Bart Lacroix and Anna Chojnakha. It was later directly funded by 1%Club.

Already, a few startups have graduated from the Nailab, including Tusqee, a mobile app that allows schools to send children's grades to their parents by SMS, {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140302110652/http://www.kejahunt.com/ KejaHunt]}}, an online house hunting platform that helps the low and middle income earners find affordable housing and MyOrder, an app that allow street vendors to open their own mobile web shop, allowing customers to order and pay by mobile phone.

Nailab Secured a $1.6 Million Tech Incubation project from the Government of Kenya,{{cite news|last=Nsehe|first=Mfonobong|title=$1.6 Million Tech Incubation Program Launched In Kenya|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2013/01/24/1-6-million-tech-incubation-program-launched-in-kenya/|newspaper=Forbes}} the initiative of the Ministry of Information and Communications through the World Bank. It is funded by the Kenya Transparency and Infrastructure Project which was spearheaded by the Kenya ICT Board (KICTB).