A new network will focus on connecting young entrepreneurs, web and mobile-phone programmers, designers, and investors.

Erik Hersman, director of operations at the non-profit Ushahidi, today announced the launch of a network of startup incubators and tech communities throughout Africa. Dubbing the new venture Afrilabs, the network is meant to connect a thriving scene of tech entrepreneurs involved in such outfits as iHub in Kenya, Hive Colab in Uganda, ActivSpaces in Cameroon, Nailab in Kenya, and Banta Labs in Senegal. In addition to integrating incubators throughout the continent, Hersman and his colleagues are also in the process of starting an investment fund for seed capital investments "that are accessible to startups that come through the different labs," Hersman tells Fast Company.

"The association is for linking the spaces for learning, growth, and to provide greater mass for the entrepreneurs that we work with," says Hersman. Afrilabs will focus on connecting young entrepreneurs, web and mobile-phone programmers, designers, and investors.

Technology-focused startup incubators are now found throughout the developing world, but Afrilabs takes the idea a step further by creating formalized links between the incubators, rather than leaving them to function in isolation. While incubators in themselves leverage the resources of external institutions--such as universities, corporate mentors, and government agencies--linking the incubators means that each incubator also benefits from the resources beyond national borders, creating a fortress-like web of connections, support, and mentorship.

"My take is that we’ll end up having as many models as the unique city cultures that spawn them, mixed in with the ethos of the founders," said Hersman.

Afrilabs looks poised to grow a whole new batch of startups and they're already looking to expand their members--while the above named are the founding five incubators, "It's open to other labs and hubs and we need them to get in contact so we can get them plugged in," says Hersman.

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[Photos by Taylor Martyn]

H&M came under fire last year for their questionable clothing disposal practices, but the famed company is looking to turn a new leaf this upcoming Earth Month with their new “Conscious Collection.” This new collection will mark H&M’s latest step into the realm of green apparel, with clothes created for women, men and children. The new stylish pieces are anticipated to be made from planet-pandering fabrics such as organic cotton, organic linen, Tencel, and recycled polyester – jump ahead for a sneak peek of what you’ll be lining up for this April!

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Don’t consign your moldy old gym shoes to the landfill (or worse, chuck them in some unsuspecting charity’s donation bin). With OAT’s fully biodegradable sneakers, you can plant them in your backyard to produce a patch of wildflowers. The two-year-old Dutch label accomplishes this with its innovative materials: soft, breathable canvas and flexible seed-embedded cork soles that literally go to pot when you bury them. Your loss is Ma Nature’s gain.

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As part of a study on how electric vehicles (EVs) affect the grid, 300 homeowners and early adopters of EVs in the Carolinas will be receiving free charging stations from their local energy providers. The charging stations will be rolled out to power customers who have signed leases for — or own — electric vehicles and will provide much needed information on how energy surges from new auto technology will work with the existing grid. Utilities in the area are concerned that high adoption of EVs could cause their equipment to fail and this study will help the utilities efficiently upgrade their equipment to save an estimated $300 million in eventual costs.

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Post tags: "green furniture", "sustainable furniture", eco light installation, green lamps, LED art, LED installations, LED lamps, plastic bottle lamps, Plastic Vortex, recycled plasti bottle lamp, recycled plastic bottles, sarah turner, sustainable lamps, Twitter Ball

Meltdown PP Tube 1 is a striking chair designed and created by British Designer Tom Price. The chair is made of recycled plumbing tubes that have been heated and pressed together to form a seat. The ends of the tubes melt and fuse together as they come into contact with the heat, leaving an artistic pattern of irregular holes on the surface of the molded seat.

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Post tags: "green furniture", abitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2011/02/PP-tube-chair-537x367.jpg" class="attachment-large" alt="Meltdown PP Tube 1, eco chair, eco design, eco products, green design, green products, pvc pipe chair, recycled chair, recycled furniture, tom price, tube chair

A quick reminder to all you designers out there, the 2011 IDEA Awards registrations are about to close. The extended entry period is up to 13th February. Student designers please note that all late registration fees are being waived off, especially for you. The IDSA IDEA awards have been called “the Oscar’s of design” …and for good reason! IDEA award winners are deemed such shining examples of design excellence that for the 2nd year in a row the Henry Ford will house IDEA winners in its private collection! This year Yanko Design is one of the Media Partners and want you to participate and WIN!

IDEA awards bring international recognition, accolades and attention in a climate where differentiation and a spotlight can make or break a design or a career.

The timelines and Fees can be found here, and the registration can be done here.

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Yanko Design
Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
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1ℓimit faucet looks more like an elegant test tube inverted on top of a tap. The glass tube holds exactly one liter of water, sufficient for a quick handwash. The theory being that we waste almost six liters of water and use only one, while washing hands. Once the stored one-liter is used up, you have to turn-off the tap till the next one liter fills up the tube. A cumbersome rationing process that will hopefully drive home the point of conservation!

Designers: Yonggu Do, Dohyung Kim & Sewon Oh

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Yanko Design
Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Yanko Design Store - We are about more than just concepts. See what's hot at the YD Store!

Last fall, we reported that Oxford Photovoltaics, part of Oxford University’s Isis Innovation, received a grant to create screen-printed organic solar cells. The thin-dye printed cells have finally been revealed. The design team, lead by Dr. Henry Snaith of the Oxford physics department manufactured the cells using cheap, abundant non-toxic, non-corrosive materials, including a metal oxide found in toothpaste.

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Post tags: "energy star", bic pen chandelier, Clothes Hanger Chandleier by Luis Teixeira, Coffee Stirrer Chandelier by Studio Verissimo, Cola Bottle Lamp, Crystal Lamp, eco lighting, en pieza, energy efficient light bulbs, energy efficient lighting, Equo Desk Lamp, green design, green lamps, green lighting, interior lighting, koncept, LED bulbs, LEDs, light-emitting diodes, low energy lighting, mauricio affonso, molo lamps, Paper Tube Light, Philips, Philips Ledino, POP pendant lamp, QisDesign, Ruth Oh, sarah turner, seagull light, sustainable design, Traffic Cone Lamp by Laura Haaker, Urchin Molo Lamp, Yves Behar Leaf Lamp