Info160 is a free location based information and advertising service in Kenya founded by Nick Hargreaves Onyango.
Onyango on his profile on HumanIPO describes the Info160 as an SMS information service where subscribers receive free useful information including breaking news, stock market and quotes according to the categories they subscribe to.
The location sensitive Info160 is the cheapest way to advertise with rates as low as KSh100 and effective with nearly 30 million mobile phone subscribers in Kenya, Onyango said during a recent interview with VC4Africa.
The service, launched a year ago, is easy to use as one creates an account through SMS or the Web and allows the users freedom to choose the information to register for.
The developer says they combine their adverts with free subscriber information like market prices, customised news, jokes, spiritual verses, market prices or government facts. The users receive the information at a daily frequency at no cost whatsoever while the advertisers pay.
Advertising starts at $1 for 50 ad views making it affordable and effective for advertising.
The founder said the app’s subscription grew steadily particularly after the team behind it was invited to the ITU conference in Geneva in October last year.
He says the app emerged as one of the best innovations.
The service is divided into the 47 counties in Kenya and the ads are sent according to one’s county and can even chose a specific location or village.
Onyango says the service targets small and medium sized enterprises majorly but bigger firms can also take advantage of their service. They aim to reach to masses without TV and Radio. Farmers can also use the service as it s is affordable.
In May this year, Onyango won US$2000 in the Forget Me Not Africa Kipokezi App challenge with his Tokelezea app.
