Sahra Abdi was writing her first lines of code in SNU’s computer lab when she noticed a gap: Somali businesses had no access to locally-built software that understood Somali language, culture, and business practices. Four years later, her company Xiriir Tech employs 85 people and serves over 400 clients across Somalia, Kenya, and the UK-Somali diaspora.
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“Everything we build starts from a real problem in the Somali market. Our accounting software handles simultaneous shilling and dollar operations. Our HR platform understands Islamic finance principles. We are building genuinely Somali solutions.”
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Sahra credits SNU’s rigorous Computer Science programme and an entrepreneurship module taught by a Nairobi-based tech founder. She now sits on the board of SNU’s Faculty of Engineering as an industry advisor.