Meet Mobile Forms, a Nigerian Startup that Uses a Network of 100,000 Field Agents to Simplify data Collection Across Africa

Data collection using questionnaires is a pretty challenging task. First, you have to print and manually arrange the forms. Next, you have to get these forms across to the audience somehow and hope that they all fill it out appropriately. After the forms have been filled and submitted, sorting and analyzing the data still takes a lot of time.

And of course, Google Forms would have been a perfect alternative to simplify this long process. But it requires internet connection always. This makes it difficult to gather data in remote locations where the internet is poor.

Mobile Forms, a Nigerian startup, has emerged with a viable and interesting new solution to solve this data gathering challenges.

We had such a great time talking to the VP @ProfOsinbajo at @theventurespark on Monday pic.twitter.com/n8qkepJsKy

— MobileForms (@Mobileforms) May 30, 2018

Founders

Mobile Form is a platform that allows businesses, governments and non-governmental organizations to crowdsource reliable data from across the African continent. Founded two years ago, the startup was created by Damilola Ayorinde and Oluwatomi Ayorinde.

The company makes it easy to design, distribute and gather data from anywhere across Africa.

https://twitter.com/NpowerngS/status/1045715575639552001

How it Works

To create surveys or questionnaires, all you have to do is use a simple drag and drop form builder. And to make the process easier, clients can request a Mobile Forms’ consultant to help them design their forms.

Once ready, forms are easily distributed via the startup’s mobile app. Using the app, members of your data collection team can easily gather data without worrying about too many issues.

For example, unlike Google Forms, the app is designed to work offline, removing the headache of providing internet connection in remote locations. Also, the app makes it easy to gather geospatial information from the location being surveyed.

@Mobileforms urgent !Hello am bringing to your notice how field agents in oyo state had been drastically short payed …some captured well over 600-700 beneficiaries and they are getting far less than 15000naira ,,,we do hope this will be rectified ,am a victim and I worked

— ATINUKE KEHINDE (@kehinde_atinuke) October 3, 2018

Freelance Field Agents Show the Real Benefit of Mobile Forms

But the main benefit of Mobile Forms is its network of field agents. With Mobile Forms, companies, NGOs and governments don’t have to worry about setting up a team to facilitate data collection. The startup is already working with a network of freelance workers who help to gather the data when they are needed.

This week the Mobile Forms team has been busy with field agents training across the country. pic.twitter.com/bpsxQQFx8l

— MobileForms (@Mobileforms) July 20, 2018

Typically, field agents earn between $1 and $10 for each submission they make. Of course, the exact payment is based on the complexity of the task. And already, over 100,000 people have signed up as field agents. That’s an impressive feat and a notable one for clients.

The startup has already earned the attention of big names in the tech world since its creation. When it launched, the startup was incubated by Ventures Platform, the popular Nigerian VC firm. Mobile Forms raised $20,000 from the VC firm in September 2016.

https://twitter.com/Mobileforms/status/1005077100590780416

It has gone on to raise around $250,000 since, according to data from CrunchBase. Its notable investors include US VC firm, 500 Startups and Right Side Capital Management.