"When we moved from London to Hargeisa (in breakaway
Somaliland) we were looking for a delivery service provider, but we
could not find one. We were not the only ones, so we decided to start a
delivery company," he said.
After expanding to Mogadishu, Gulivery's husband-and-wife team have their eyes on Djibouti and Ethiopia.
Gulivery's motorcycle couriers allow clients — mostly restaurants —
to dodge the dangers of insecurity and bombings on Mogadishu's streets,
as well as traffic, and expand their customer base.
Mohamed said Gulivery has over 10,000 registered users and has made
more than 9,000 deliveries since it began operating last year.
Exploiting gaps left by a state that fails to provide basic services,
Ileys Energy sells solar and LED lights that make up for the inadequacy
of grid electricity.
Abdiaziz Mohamed Adow, Ileys' 35-year-old Norwegian-Somali boss, said parts came from Norway but are assembled in Somalia.
"We are already sending supplies to most parts of the country and plan to move into other countries in East Africa," he said.
Abdikhaliq Ahmed, CEO of software company Yool Tech, which designs
and hosts websites, welcomed the summit as a chance to showcase Somali
know-how and inspire others.
"We are eyeing a future where we provide technology-related services
that people previously sought outside the country," he said.
"Summits like this one boost the moral of the youth so they will think about staying in their country and working in it."