Apple buys a Nigerian-owned ICT firm for $1 billion
UNITED States of America’s most celebrated brand, Apple, has bought Nigeria’s Chinedu Echeruo’s HopStop.com. According to The Wall Street Journal’s publication, AllThingsDigital, it informed that though the term of the deal has not been disclosed officially, but HopStop has been compared to Israel’s Waze, which was recently acquired by Google for $1 billion.
Founded in 2005, HopStop.com makes mobile applications for both iOS and Android that covers over 300 cities and that helps people get directions or find nearby subway stations and bus stops.
Echeruo, formerly an analyst at investment banks and hedge funds, who founded HopStop, is now chairman of the Board for the app firm.
The move, according to market intelligence, is seen as Apple’s plan to bolster its map offering especially given Google’s recent acquisition of Waze.
A serial entrepreneur, Echeruo, grew up in Eastern Nigeria and attended Kings College, Lagos.
He attended Syracuse University and the Harvard Business School in the United States and founded HopStop.com after working for several years in the Mergers and Acquisitions and Leveraged Finance groups of J.P Morgan Chase where he was involved in a broad range of M&A, financing and private equity transactions.
He also worked at AM Investment Partners, a $500 million volatility-driven convertible bond arbitrage hedge fund.
He founded and raised nearly $8 million for his two U.S. based Internet companies: Hopstop.com and Tripology.com. Tripology.com was acquired in 2010 by American travel and navigation information company, Rand McNally.
True to form, Echeruo is working on yet another venture but this time, focused on small businesses in Africa. According to him, “there is no reason why every entrepreneur should have to reinvent the wheel every single time in all the countries in Africa.
My idea is to essentially have one place where a budding entrepreneur can access a template for starting a business, and then customise it to suit their own situation; essentially, a business-in-a-box. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, online services, and personal computers.
Its best-known hardware products are the Mac line of computers, the iPod media player, the iPhone smartphone, the iPad tablet computer, and the Apple Watch smartwatch. Its online services include iCloud, the iTunes Store, and the App Store.
Apple’s consumer software includes the OS X and iOS operating systems, the iTunes media browser, the Safari web browser, and the iLife and iWork creativity and productivity suites.
Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976, to develop and sell personal computers.
It was incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. on January 3, 1977, and was renamed as Apple Inc. on January 9, 2007, to reflect its shifted focus towards consumer electronics. Apple joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average on March 19, 2015.
Apple is the world’s second-largest information technology company by revenue after Samsung Electronics, world’s largest technology company by Total Assets and the world’s third-largest mobile phone maker.
On November 25, 2014, in addition to being the largest publicly traded corporation in the world by market capitalisation, Apple became the first U.S. company to be valued at over $700 billion.
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60 Comments
ALWAYS NDI-IGBO
Always NDI-IGBO. Only Ndi-Igbo can make difference in someone’s live. God Bless Israel, God Bless Ndi-Igbo. Today I just came back from the graduating ceremony of University of Pittsburh, Pennsylvania. There were about 150 Medical and Scientists graduates. Luckily 6-Nigeria received their Medical and Science Diploma and Degrees. Ndi-Igbo produced 5-Doctors and a combined MD and PhD. Only the Mbaise-Ndi-Igbo Man got PhD and MD. As normal One Yoruba Lady got MD. In summary, Ndi-Igbo got five out of Six. Yorubas got one, none , for Hausa and others, because some of the Northerners have no DNA of competition in their genes. Always Ndi-Igbo
Bros, all hsa flni n their useless kids thinks abt are, born to rule Nigeria, control SS oil, n to join ISIL, Alqueada, alshabab etc. … Yorubas, d hsa flni slaves will always help them to achieve thier aims, tho claiming to b educated n sophisticated, which is all junk claims…So this kind of venture will always b achieved by us ,d Gods own pple Ndi igbo…Hail Biafra
If you so much reduce others , without considering the fact that others region have achieved similar or better things .like the first television was not built by igbos but yoruba.the present richest man in Africa is dangote and the same not from the igbos. Yet you people deceive your self .
First television studio was built by Awo…Bt no African built d “television” ok like u falsely insenuated….Dnt claim wht u dont know …Secondly, Sir Loius Ojukwu d father of Odumegwu Ojukwu was one time richest man in Africa , an igboman..Fact…Google abt an igboman Dr Philip Emeagwali…He founded d modern day applications tht made d internet wht it is today on this earth, which u are using now to type your junk…Its not abt using wht is already in existence to brag…Wht has an hsa man invented??, except importation of rice n cements like your Dangote??..He got d monopoly thru d Nigerian corrupt govts…Is tht d greatest achievements ?..Tell me an hsa flni man tht carved his or her own nitche or achievements,without d help of d Nigerian govt??..This igboman Echeruo, did his thing all by himself, his own invention n he is paid over a billion dollars for tht, n u are comparing tht to Awo building d first television studio in remote Nigeria..Dnt u know tht countries in south America got tht many yrs ago b4 Awo built tht one u are braging abt now??..Plez b objective nxt time b4 spewing junks in this forum…
I don’t believe you are this Tribalistic in person. I believe you are better than the words I just read. I believe you wrote the above in a moment of weakness afforded you by the veil of the internet, and that’s just sad.
The success of Echeruo has nothing to do with the part of Nigeria he hails from, moreover he spent a major part of his life outside the boundaries of the east (Lagos and in the US). I bet he will be disappointed with your comments especially your words against the Hausa’s. Same goes for you too Joseph. I have Igbo friends – male and female and they also will not agree with these racial comments.
Like I said earlier, I believe you both are better than this.
Racism is a sickness of the mind. It always looks for any opportunity to express itself. It is worse with educated illiterates because they think they know more. Be it black or white or yellow or green, Hausa, ibo or Yoruba a racist is always sick in the mind! May God heal our minds from this illness which depicts each one of us as parochial (narrow minded) in thinking!!!
I am along with you brother.
Why should Nigerian Guardian be publishing news of 2 years ago in order to sale there newpapers. This deal was done in 2013. You can confirm it through this link: https://www.bet.com/news/global/2013/07/23/apple-buys-hopstop-from-nigerian-entrepreneur.html
Dispute wht i said abt d hsa flni…Its not bn tribalistic dude….I was born in Lagos, ive visited northern parts of Nigeria too..Living in d USA now..Igbos n hsa flni can never b friends, for d obvious reasons. ..U r a yoruba, right?.., If u pretend tht u dnt knw why , im sorry..Truth hurts
All your apolitical tribal perception is only counterproductive to your people and all Nigerians. That guy Echeruo will never like your antiquity tribal patronage
if hausa fulani and igbo cannot be friends who cares you can continue to fight every tribe in the world if you wishes is up to you that does not stop God in action enough of some people behaving like the world is in their hand
If u are a yoruba as your name implies, whts your problem wit igbo -hsa flni problem..??
Ibos can not be friends with Hausas and Fulanis? See how your lbo Politicians are trooping to see Gmb.
Sorry my comment was in reply to Ralf retarded mind.
“…..an igboman Dr Philip Emeagwali…He founded d internet……”
I had to stop reading your post right there. Emeagwali is an achiever no doubt but your statement is patently false.
Yes, its no false, Dr Philip Emeagwali is, an igboman n he founded d applications tht made modern day internet possible. ..Google tht name…Who cares if u read my views or not…They are not for d uninformed anyways..
emeagwali is a fraud. he was discovered to be a fruad. he did not get Ph D to start with.
Thank you for your observations his a fraud l checked him out ten years ago.
you are welcomed
Sharapppppppppp Na propaganda,you done hear about Innoson Motors?
i am not going to sharrrrrrrrrappppp. does emeagwali has PhD??? Please answer the question by yourself. “Emeagwali studied for a Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan from 1987 through 1991. His thesis was not accepted by a committee of internal and external examiners and thus he was not awarded the degree”
a thourough search of his patented work showed that the the only patented work is his website. Morever where is your inventor today. I am not going to bother myself looking for innson morons
Jealousy go kill you,wetin Yoruba achieve if no be to dey steal Nigeria money
How would I be jealous of a fraudulent person. He is in the dustbin of history today. The guy was smart no doubt about it must it patent lie. He is one of the people giving us bad name. Talkin about Igbo I will reserve my comment because my response will be bloody. When you bring it up again where I know people will read it I will respond adequately. Call em chicken or coward, I accept it for now.
SHARAP,YORUBA DEY MORE FRAUDULENT THAN ANY OTHER TRIBE IN NIGERIA,EXAMPLE ITT,ABIOLA AND CO
Thank you and God bless you. At least i got under your skin. I know your type
GET AWAY NOTHING YOU TELL,UNTIL YOU CHANGE FROM YOUR SENTIMENT,YOU TOO LOW COMPARE TO MY CLASS,WE ROLL IN DOLLARS AND POUNDS STERLING
Yet it does not call for crude tribalism to annoyance of others
Philip Emeagwali is a fraud, go check his profile online.
But he his where he his,you tribal bigott
What a shameful crude tribal bigotry is yours. At the end of day you end up raising more hatred and hurt to genuine and enlightened members of your tribe
..and have you attended all the graduation ceremonies all over the USA, Canada, UK and other western countries for you to come to this conclusion? Are is that it is just facts to justify a pre-conceived notion?
Hausas have nothing to show outside of Nigeria. On a fair playing field, the hausa man is finished.
i don’t believe iheonunekwu ever attended any school in his life his reasoning doesn’t show he ever passed through the four walls of classroom,wearing suit doesn’t make you an educated man but if he ever did then that means some people need urgent assistance before it’s too late
Your retarded from your mother’s womb.
This is a biased and narrow minded comment to divide Nigeria, you don’t what else is going on in other cities in America not to talk of other part of the world. if you want to compliment somebody who has done a good job, that’s fine, just do it and stop the negative comments about others.
You can join your slave masters to deny President Jonathan second term but the factor that the Ndigbo are Jews of Africa is not in doubt .The extending the frontiers of Nigeria in all areas where there is level playing fields is not doubt. The three sons and daughters of Ndigbo have just won seats in the concluded United Kingdom election ,so we must show that we are push the Nigeria frontiers outside the shores of this country.To built a Television is no achievement but to discover is the main thing.The achievements during the civil war is no mean feat , that was killed by the present civil war alliance is APC.
Congratulations. The world is expansive and Nigerians in the diaspora of every tongue & tribe are truly world class citizens. What you have written here about Ndigbo can be said about Nigerians of other lineage, Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw, Tiv, Jukun, etc contributing their quota in world commerce, peace and uplifting of the human race in Nigeria and everyweher in the world. Please elevate yourself above bigotry and try to jojn those folks who definitely are not looking at issues perpetually through a tribal lens, and No Ndigbo are not jews. Jews are jews and Ndigbo is Ndigbo – If the sentiment is in being creative, open your eyes and you’d see that there is no monopoly of creativity by a race, any race – Creativity is post-racial. Much Love!
Thank you and God’s blessing.
Very well said….we should stop being myopic…
he grew up in lagos and attended kings college Lagos,so get it into your head ,if he grew up in the east,at best he would have turn out to be importer of fake drug or at worst,an armed robber or a kidnapper
“he grew up in Lagos and attended kings college Lagos”
Therefore, he is from Lagos State(A Lagosian of Igbo heritage). I accept this but do you accept that Lt. Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was from Kaduna State? Yes, born in Kaduna, raised in Kaduna, saw himself as first a Nigerian from Kaduna, then an Igbo man. Do you accept that Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was from Niger State? Yes, born and raised in Niger State and saw himself first as a Nigerian but of Igbo heritage. Do you accept that Dim Ojukwu was first a Ngerian before he became a Biafran? Yes, Ojukwu was born in Niger State(thus a Northerner by place of birth) relocated to Lagos where he attended Kings College(so he was groomed in Western Nigeria). Went to Britain from there and returned to Lagos before experiencing life in the Southeast.
I mean, Nigeria will become a federation the day a citizen of Nigeria becomes a citizen anywhere he or she reside within the geographical boundary of Nigeria.
We accept where the major characters you mention accept for themselves as where they were from. You raised a very important point that have puzzled me for a while – which is that when you look at history and hindsight is always 20-20 as they say, the major actors you mentioned could arguably be said not to be Igbo by place of birth, yet they are the ones who cause more problems for the place of their lineage based on their approach and the results…as their approach seemed to always been reactionary and hijacking their “homeland” for turf-battle with their true birth places. You would have expected that they should have been the one at the forefront of being able to bridge the divide and bring advantages to their “homeland”, so what is it in the psyche of these igbo-by-lineage personalities that made them hijack their lineage for personal adventurism at the extreme risk of the survival of Ndigbo. What is it that makes them fail to truly be egalitarian and bridge builders, choosing for the most part everything but, even though they have been born, bred and “buttered” outside of igbo land?
Now about Nzeogwu Kaduna, yes he was as you said, accepted as such and had all the rights and accesses of being from Northern Nigeria, seriously, and then what did he do? He did not see himself as a Northerner, he saw himself more akin to being from the south east, even as we knew it was only by lineage, worked with folks with similar lineage to kill his premier….and others who thought like him and who happened to believe in their super-race also killed other premiers, their leaders in the army and leader of the country..mostly from the North…did Azikiwe saw himself as a Northerner then? No, so what did he do – he vacillated, was on perpetual vacation in the Carribeans and UK and I watched him (it’s on You tube) explain away why it was not a coup BUT that the first republic people abdicated…this after his fellow Onitsha man (he saw himself as an Onitsha man, even though like you rightly said he was born & bred in the north), Aguiyi Ironsi, had forbidden the swearing in of a new leader and sacked the parliament and effectively killed the first republic making himself the paramount ruler of Nigeria…this sent the country into a tailspin, which included civil war and other extreme political & social engineering… and things are just beginning to normalize through our democracy of the past 16 years…which should continue, we should jaw-jaw, rather than war-war..
Do you know that Murtala Muhammad was a Kano man, yet his lineage we hear is Ogbomosho, western Nigeria. Do you know that Lateef Jakande’s lineage is Kwara, even as he remain every bit a Lagosian and was an executive governor of the State…profile any leader from Northern Nigeria and you may be surprised where the lineage would lead you…so long as he accepts to be with the people and is dedicated to serve them, what does it matter, really? Do you know that Abacha’s lineage is NOT Kano? Ambode’s lineage (New Lagos Governor) NOT Lagos, even as he is every bit a Lagosian as you may find…talking of which ….Northern region has every tongue spoken in Nigeria for example, yet it was built on a foundation of hard work, faith & unity..western Nigeria and northern Nigeria, by and large, are further along I have found in my extensive interactions country wide in accepting public service from people according to the content of their character, not perfect but further along. The remaining part of Nigeria have some catching up to do even as all part recognizes the differences, and celebrate unity in diversity for a progressive Nigeria. The world need Nigeria to be strong and progressive and we all should leave no one behind.
My friend sharappppppppp,do you know this topic of this Article? Useless tribal bigot
This is a very stupid comment. I hope you are aware of that, because if you aren’t, your future is really bleak.
Chimamanda was born and brought up in Nsukka, eastern part of Nigeria.
So why are Yorubas the owners of Kings College not able to achieve this? Bad belle, just give it to the Igbos because not until an Igbo man becomes the President of Nigeria, it will continue to be one step forward two steps backward for Nigeria.
Congrats broda
it is not anywhere in US news. They usually associate Nigeria with filth, criminal activities and poverty. They will never show this guy to the US public. They are afraid of the African
Not true, my brother. Nigerians are known to be on average one of the least criminal community, the most educated and one of the upwardly mobile groups in the USA. No kidding.
Your right we are well respected in the usa.
Is a shame that some persons will come out here and be saying rubbish. You can only site out just few names among the millions of people who are from the so called Igbos. Beside philipe Emeagwali and this very guy whose news as not be validated yet. And you are also talking about igbos getting the highest numbers of graduate in that institute. I don’t know when the igbos started going to school. what we all know of are the yoruba’s who has the highest numbers of professor in Nigeria. They are not igbos, they are yorubas. and also the first Nobel Laurent award to be won by and Africa was also won by a yoruba man who is a prof. Now, the richest tribe in Nigeria are also the yorubas, eg, the lives of Adenuga, femi, and even the richest black woman on earth is also a yoruba. my broda shut your month up! Now talking about the hausa’s. one of the brigtest mind today we have in nigeria, still remain, sanusi lamido sanusi. i don’t know if that sounds like an igbo. and the richest man in africa, is also an hausa, i don’t know if that sounds like igbo too. the only thing an igbo man as brought to the nation Nigeria, is shame and reproach. like that of the death sentence out there in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand china, name it. both male and female. And there also other tribe out there. And with all of this, they are still not as rich compel to other tribe. Is a pity! There are still a number of them still on the death role. I urge you to pray for your tribe because is a big mess. That is why every other tribe don’t like them in Nigeria. Because they are mess. now there is a news now hitting the sky, of how an igbo man is selling human parts as a meat in his hotel. Anabra in quote! What will you say about that? Try to check the news daily. you will see how curse is the igbo race and what they have done to the image of nigeria. Nonsense! And come to think of it, the igbos call themselves the jews of Africa. So dumb! you guys should do a research on the life of the Jews. now most of the technology weuse in the world are from the Jews. Zionist in quote. Eg, mike zurkerberd, who as about 2. something billion customers in facebook. And who as also revolutionize the world via his invention. helping families and friends across the world.and a number of them that way too like the Sergey Brin of google n, Larry Ellison, oracle, name it! the isreal are the world movers and also affect lifes positively. But the igbos hasn’t done anything notable. The only notable thing they ever brought to mankind, is pain, shame and reproach. with great war between themselves.An average igbo does not have love for his fellow tribe. I do have few ones they stay with me, i know what i am talking about. So shut your mouth.
Now in addition to this. No race or tribe is inferior to the other. Success is not a tribe of a race. if not, the richest and the largest pastors and great men will not come from Africa. Any man can be a success, provided he will be able to give his or herself to the demand of success.
Shame on the Guardian for posting this as fresh news. This was widely published in the US two years ago. He made the front page of Black Enterprise magazine last year
As soon as I finished reading the story I had already imagined how the commentaries would turn out. Ndigbo vs Yoruba. My ‘brother is very very brilliant ….you don’t know anything’. If I may ask, what did you do to contribute to the society? Nothing, but creating hatred amongst yourselves. Can’t you people imbibe the spirit of humility for once? Must you fight over the achievements of your brothers? If this man we are celebrating today behaves in this shallow manner he may find it hard to achieve this greatness. You all should be ashamed of yourselves.
Yorubas will never see any good in anybody else. The Igbos are giving then run for their money, so they hate them. They will prefer Nigeria without the Igbos so that they will become local champion amongst the other tribes.
???..! You right man.!
Very welcome devt but this is no longer news. Read about it some two years ago on The Engineering Network. https://bit.ly/1cP0TWs
As the saying goes, ‘Success has many brothers’. I’m NOT in the least surprised that tribalists and ethnic jingoists will turn this into a tribal slagging match instead of celebrating Nigeria(ns)for a change. Does anybody even know which state or part of America Bill Gates is from? But we all know he’s an accomplished American. Please brothers/sisters, let’s get our values right, because it’s the same ethnic mentality that drove us into civil war that cost many innocent Nigerian lives.
Yoruba,Igbo,Hausa ad other tribe,all have intelligent brain that are making Nigeria proud,Nigeria are blessed.
lots of comments about this feat by a bright guy. if only those of you who find the time to write these leghty and pointless epistles about Ndigbo v Yoruba could devote such energy into doing tangible life changing things-, maybe Nigeria would be a better place. #SMH
This achievement is not about tribal division..why must we all accredit achievement to your culture..lots of yorubas are doing as good as that..we need to stop this and celebrate quality on all dimensions, either yoruba, hausa or ibo..
We will review and take appropriate action.