Three years ago, while still in our final year of university, we set out to build something bold—a company that would bridge the gap between vision and reality for dreamers, creatives, entrepreneurs, and problem solvers. Our mission was simple yet profound: to be the people you turn to when you need a product or process engineered to solve a problem and thrive in the market.

The Questions That Defined Our Purpose

Our journey began with a few fundamental questions:

1. Why can’t we design and manufacture products that work for us and align with our culture?
2. Why do we have to import simple yet essential technologies to meet our needs?
3. How can our manufacturing industry thrive if we do not design our own products or the processes to produce them?

The Challenge of Pioneering R&D in Africa

While our vision was crystal clear to us, executing it was another matter entirely. To many, the idea of an R&D-focused company—one that takes ideas and transforms them into solid engineering solutions—seemed unfounded, even alien.

We had no funding, no established reputation, and no pre-existing roadmap to follow. What we did have was grit, a hunger to learn, and an environment that we could leverage to experiment and grow. We substituted financial capital with intellectual capital, perseverance, and an unwavering belief in the necessity of our mission.

Reality, however, soon set in. The industry, while recognizing the need for design, lacked the patience for the process and the willingness to invest in long-term solutions. This placed us at a crossroads. There was a clear demand for our work, yet no ready investment to sustain the research and development required to bring solutions to market. Moreover, we lacked the internal resources to fully develop and commercialize certain critical innovations on our own.

Laying the Foundation for a Thriving Business

Beyond the technical work, we also had to build the backbone of the company—establishing sound administrative, financial, marketing, and human resource systems to ensure long-term sustainability.

One of the most significant insights we gained along the way was the sheer necessity of machinery and equipment in Africa. More often than not, these machines do not exist locally, and their designs are inaccessible. Clients approach us with images or videos of equipment they found online, expecting us to build them at a fraction of the cost. To make this a reality, we had to invest time, effort, and resources into developing our own engineering design processes. It became clear that success required continuous innovation—not just replication.

Building an Innovative Engineering Ecosystem

Over the past three years, we have dedicated ourselves to developing a robust engineering design system that enables us to take on these challenges. We have refined our ability to transform requirements, constraints, and problem definitions into precise engineering drawings, specifications, and procurement and fabrication data.

While capital-intensive aspects such as advanced technical systems and dedicated workspaces remain out of reach, we have optimized what we can control. We have built strong human, management, and information systems, leveraging every available resource to push our vision forward.

The Road Ahead

The next phase for us is about maximizing the core competencies we have developed and translating them into sustainable revenue. Our goal is clear: to generate the financial foundation necessary to grow the company while continuing our mission of establishing engineering design as a fundamental pillar of Africa’s industrial value chain.

This journey has never been just about us—it is about contributing to the continent’s growth, proving that innovation and engineering excellence can thrive in Africa. Three years in, we remain steadfast in our commitment to this vision. This little light of ours will continue to shine, and we are just getting started.

Join Us in Shaping the Future

Our mission extends beyond our team—it is a call to action for all stakeholders, partners, investors, and like-minded visionaries who believe in the power of African innovation. IMHO is more than a company; it is a movement to redefine how we design, build, and manufacture solutions tailored to our unique challenges and aspirations. If you share our passion for industrial transformation and believe in the power of engineering excellence, we invite you to be part of this journey. Let us work together to create a future where Africa is not just a consumer of technology but a hub for world-class engineering and product development. The story of IMHO is still being written, and we would love for you to be part of it.