Ushahidi is a crowd-sourcing platform best known for Crowdmap, its primary product used for crisis mapping and collecting reports worldwide. It began with activity in a handful of countries in 2009 and Crowdmap is now used in hundreds of countries, including to crowdsource information about alleged nuclear weapons activity in Iran. The organization has received backing from the Omidyar Network, which provided $1.4M and later $1.9M. Ushahidi has publicly criticized a World Bank–Google partnership over Google Map Maker's licensing terms, arguing the deal threatens the open-source map-making community. Co-founder Juliana Rotich has also spoken out against Twitter's introduction of a censorship platform, highlighting implications for activists in Africa. The interview connects Ushahidi to the Nairobi tech ecosystem, noting iHub Nairobi and its request for a 3D printer. Ushahidi provides an open-source platform that lets anyone submit information via text message, email, or web form and visualizes reports on maps or timelines. The platform was born out of the Kenyan post-election violence in 2008 and has been deployed more than 375 times by media organizations and NGOs across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The company plans to use new funding to establish a hub in Naiorbi, Kenya, and to expand its development team to scale the crowdsourcing platform. Funding will also support investment in a next-generation verification technology and efforts to broaden partnerships with media organizations and NGOs. Stephen King of Omidyar Network will join Ushahidi’s board as part of the investment. The articles report a $1.4M grant delivered over two and a half years from Omidyar Network.

Total raised

$3M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Jan 2012