Inside the Rapid Growth of Ethiopia’s New Entrepreneurial Hub: The Disruptors Den Story

“If you’re a tech person, sometimes you’re more in love with your product than with the business of your product,” remarked Pierre-Habte Nouvellon, the cofounder of Snipfeed, a popular creator monetization platform, during a sit-down at the Disruptors Den, Ethiopia’s emerging community of entrepreneurs.

Hosted by Abenazzer Taddese, cofounder of The Disruptors Den, the 62nd session at ALX Ethiopia three weeks ago was full of penetrating insights. Under the theme “Successful Exit Journeys,” Pierre’s reflections on his startup’s acquisition by Planoly in April found fertile ground in the Den’s ambitious community.

An energetic ensemble comprised of tech enthusiasts, students, and founders has made the Den’s weekly gatherings an unmissable occasion for anyone looking to get a leg up in Ethiopia’s startup ecosystem. Following a presentation by a featured speaker, a vibrant question-and-answer session ensues every Saturday.

The year-and-a-half-old community of innovators, which began as casual meetups in coffee shops, has ballooned to a pulsating intellectual experience, with nearly 70 people attending the weekly sessions and around ten programs catering to the needs of the innovative ecosystem.

And this all started with a LinkedIn post. A clarion call by Yohannes Taye, cofounder of Disruptors Den, attracted around eight like-minded individuals to a freeform conversation at a coffee shop. This meeting was later posted on LinkedIn.

“He reached out to everyone reacting to the post,” Abenazzer recalled to Shega. “The people who were engaged quickly started joining the coffee sessions.”

Yohannes’s offering of coffee and his willingness to listen to the challenges, aspirations, and opportunities shared by his peers gave rise to an ambitious community rooted in innovative, entrepreneurial values.

“The Disruptors Den is more than just a community of entrepreneurs; it’s a movement driven by values that shape our interactions and collaborations. We believe that success is not solely about profit, but about working together and supporting one another toward a shared goal of growth and innovation,” reads the collective’s ethos.

The trio, comprised of Abenazzer, who now handles the community organization; Yohannes, who is currently in charge of media and communication alongside an effort to kick off a chapter in China; and Tamrat Sultan (MD), tasked with academy and partnerships, realized the need for a formal structure to the sessions early on.

Nearly 64 sessions in, Abenazzer still carries the fervor of an ambitious founder during the weekly gatherings.

In each meetup, a topic and a host referred to as the “Degash,” are selected, and the event is promoted across social media platforms to anyone interested in attending. Topics like sacrifice in early-stage startups, balancing work and life, developing a business plan and MVP, and the essence of negotiation for entrepreneurs are some of the topics discussed so far.

These weekly meetups are attended by diverse participants, ranging from high school students to established entrepreneurs. While the community began in Addis, Disruptors Den is also expanding to regional cities, with events being held in Adama.

Abenazzer says the goal has always been the creation of a free community space where established entrepreneurs and key industry players can link up with aspirant founders and emerging companies to discuss Ethiopia’s innovative ecosystem.

“The Den is born out of our own struggles,” Abenazzer told Shega. “It is an ecosystem of opportunities and challenges.”

While the flagship weekly sessions held every Saturday remain an enduring feature of what the Disruptors offer to the Ethiopian startup ecosystem, they have scaled up like most hope to do in the community.

One of these initiatives is the partnership with ALX Founders Academy, which graduated over 1,000 first-cohort students from a three-month entrepreneurship training program. The program prioritizes a viable business idea, cofounder presence, and proper documentation high up on the requirement list.

The Den has also spawned six startups, formed through partnerships among community members, including Qesem and Hulucare. The latter was one of four winners in the first cohort of the Bimalab Ethiopia Insurtech Accelerator, securing $10,000, and later went on to become one of two Ethiopian fintechs selected for Timbuktoo’s Fintech Accelerator.

Solomon Tigabu, 26, a founder himself learned about the Disruptors Den Community at an event eight months ago. “We were at the event with Tamrat, and he mentioned the Disruptors Den and invited me to attend their next coffee meetup.”

Following the cofounder’s invitation, Solomon made it to the event two weeks later.  “But after that, I have been going consistently. Where I live is actually far away from where the event happens, but it’s important, so I made the time to attend every Saturday afternoon.”

Considering the fact that at least 15 founders are present at every event, participants discuss various topics, share their experiences, and address different challenges, which helps them draw from each other’s experiences and challenges, makes the gathering important, explains Solomon.

What started as weekly check-ins over a hot brew has adopted continental ambitions via its Spotlight Africa series, which highlights the experiences of emerging entrepreneurs from Ethiopia and the continent at large.

“We aim to inspire a pan-African mindset that fosters innovation to address continental challenges,” Abenazzer explains.

He revealed plans to kick off a platform dubbed Business Enawga in late August, which provides curated conversations between an established entrepreneur and an aspiring one, much like the Mela Monthly sessions hosted by the late Caleb Mekanis, an Ethiopian-born British entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and YouTube personality.

The Den is also adding a ‘Startup Digis’ program to its portfolio, roughly translated to celebration in the Amharic language, which entails annual showcases where high-performing members are recognized.

Abenazzer says they have adopted a concept called legacy points, which measures the commitment of fellows to the program.

Because the Den offers its services for free, its legacy points are used to distribute opportunities. Weekly Disruptors Den participants, including hosts and event-goers, are awarded coins based on their roles. These coins are later used to determine which members are most deserving of the opportunities that arise within the group.

“Like a real-life community, these coins are used when opportunities come and members need a service from us,” said Abenazzer.

A recent ceremony organized by the Den showcased ten startups, selected based on their points, at the newly built Adwa and Science Museums.

“We want to enhance the use of these legacy points in all our future endeavors,” Abenazzer says.

The Disruptors now have a startup investor match program, a mentorship initiative, a media wing, an adventure program, and more. Moreover, the Den is in the final stages of legally forming a civil society organization under the same name.