Tsedale Tekle

Ethiopian tech entrepreneur who pioneered cloud computing solutions for African markets

Tsedale Tekle (b. 1975) is a visionary Ethiopian entrepreneur whose work in information technology has transformed access to cloud services across Africa. After earning a computer science degree from Addis Ababa University in 1998, Tekle identified the lack of scalable IT infrastructure in African businesses. In 2001, she founded EthioCloud, the first cloud computing platform designed specifically for developing economies. Her innovative approach included:

• Localized server farms powered by renewable energy
• Affordable pricing models for SMEs
• Indigenous language support for Amharic and Oromo

By 2010, EthioCloud provided services to over 1,500 businesses in 12 African countries. Tekle's 2015 TED Talk "Clouds Over Addis Ababa" became a landmark in tech circles. She later established the Africa Digital Foundation to train 50,000 tech professionals by 2025. Her work has been featured in Wired magazine and the UN Africa Renewal publication.