Bamba

Bamba was founded in 2013 by Al Ismaili, Shehzad Tejani, and Faiz Hirani. The three co-founders, CEO Al Ismaili, COO Shehzad Tejani, and CTO Faiz Hirani, created the company to solve the problem of accessing reliable data from emerging markets.

Bamba is a data collection platform that specializes in providing consumer insights from hard-to-reach populations, primarily in Africa. The company serves businesses and organizations that need to understand consumer behavior and preferences in these markets. Bamba's business model is data-as-a-service (DaaS), where it charges clients for access to the data and insights gathered through its platform.

The company's core product is a real-time data gathering system that works on basic mobile phones, not just smartphones. This allows Bamba to reach a massive and often overlooked demographic. To encourage participation, Bamba offers instant mobile airtime payouts as an incentive for users to complete surveys and provide data. This approach has proven to be effective, enabling Bamba to operate in 122 countries.

In 2016, Bamba was accepted into the prestigious Techstars accelerator program, which provided the company with mentorship and funding to scale its operations. A significant milestone in the company's history was its acquisition in 2018 by the UK-based energy and technology firm, MAXIMeyes Group. This acquisition provided Bamba with additional resources and a strategic partner to further its growth and expand its reach.

Keywords: Data Collection, Emerging Markets, Consumer Insights, Mobile Surveys, Feature Phones, Airtime Rewards, Africa, Market Research, Real-Time Data, Data-as-a-Service