One team.
Two kinds of work.
We're engineers, designers and problem-solvers in Addis Ababa, and an affiliate of 1888 Studio. The same people build our own products and the software our clients ask for.
Why we started.
Too many businesses here were stuck with software that didn't fit. We started Recite Labs to close that gap.
Ethiopian businesses deserve world-class software. And the world should see what Ethiopian engineers can build.
What we believe
Good software starts with understanding the problem and the people who have it. The tech stack comes second. We solve the problem with the right amount of work. No more, no less.
How we work.
Three things we hold ourselves to, on our own products and on yours. Each one comes with something you can check.
Speed
You see progress every week, not at the end.
- A working demo every week
- Two-week sprints with continuous deployment
- Replies within 24 hours
Quality
Software that keeps working long after launch day.
- Automated tests run on every change
- Documentation and team training at handover
- Monitoring and fixes after release
Honesty
No surprises about scope or progress.
- Scope agreed in writing before we build
- Progress you can check at any time
- A straight answer if we're not the right fit
Two more habits
We own what we build.
Our products are ours to run and fix long after launch. Client projects get monitoring and fixes after release too.
Open by default.
Zirzir is open source under the MIT license. EthiopianCalendar.info is free and open source too.
The team.
Four people in Addis Ababa. The same people work on our products and on yours.
Kibru Demeke
General manager, co-founder
Leads product architecture, infrastructure and engineering. Works in Laravel, Go and AWS.
Helen Birhane, MD
Operations manager, co-founder
A doctor who co-founded Recite Labs to bridge healthcare, education and technology. Leads operations and health projects.
Elias Ayele
Mobile development lead
Over five years of mobile work, including apps for Triller and 2F Capital. Leads our iOS and cross-platform apps.
Heran Tesegaye
Senior full-stack developer
Builds enterprise platforms, from public health systems to real estate tools, in React, Next.js, Laravel and NestJS.
Advisors
Two people from 1888 Studio, our affiliate, who give us strategic guidance.
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Solomon Kassa
Founder, 1888 EC. Tech consultant and strategist
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Teshager Amare
Head of operations, 1888 EC