Biruk Hailu (photo: The Reporter)

Biruk Hailu is the co-founder and CEO of 360Ground, creators of the newly launched Meda Chat. The app is a multi-purpose messaging, mobile banking& social gaming platform. Its intent is to help Ethiopians socialize and connect for the commercial exchange of goods and services in varies of local languages. According to him, the local startup also hosts instant messaging, social media, interactions with financial and government sectors under a single platform. Here, he reflects with The Reporter’s Samuel Getachew on why the app is important, the changing landscape of the use of technology in the country and how he envisions the role of Meda within Ethiopia.

Tell me a bit about yourself?

I am one that is involved in business strategy as well as in corporate leadership in areas of product design, in its development and execution. I have led in the areas of mobile apps creations with the intent of using technology to make life easy and services available widely to millions of people, in particular through Meda Chat, a unique messaging, social and business app created locally. 

As you may be aware, Meda is a mobile app payment system, as well as a social media and messaging as a mode of communication arena for many people. Users can use it to buy, send money using local currency and find vital everyday information about a slew of things, including on news, travel, health and entertainment issues, among others.

Read more at: The Reporter