Iddris Sandu is a 25-year-old Ghanaian tech genius who is responsible for algorithms that have made Uber, Snapchat, and Instagram what they are today. He is also the creator of the world’s first smart retail store.
Sometimes I wonder how the world will look if there is no Africa! Because there’s no doubt that Africa has offered the world some of the best resources you can imagine. An example of this is that of the bits, which are in the form of the mineral cobalt found in DR Congo that is used in the production of rechargeable batteries for our mobile phones.
But aside from mineral resources, it seems African people are also created to be blessings to the world because the story of Iddris Sandu just proves that right. Because if not for him maybe there will be nothing like Uber, Snapchat or even Instagram today.
Iddris Sandu was born in 1997 in Accra, Ghana but was raised in Harbor city in Los Angeles California. He is guy is a self-taught software engineer and technology design architect. He created the world’s first smart retail store experience along with Nipsey Hussle. The store is called “The Marathon Store”. Sandu was so lucky to find what he loved during his early years because he was just only 10 years old when he began learning computer programming and reading from a public library in Los Angeles. And at the age of 13, Sandu became an intern and worked on several Google projects including Google Plus.
At age 15, during his high school years, Sandu created a smartphone app that made it easier for his classmates to find their classrooms. After High school, Sandu decided to go into interning and consulting and worked with big companies like Twitter, Uber, Snapchat and Instagram among others. At age 18, Sandu sold an algorithm for Instagram and was consulting for Snapchat.
Sandu later created software for Uber that helps in detecting a driver’s hand motion and position. Over the years, Sandu has also worked with many top celebrities in the world with the likes of Nipsey Hussle, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Rihanna and many more. Sandu has also served as a technical consultant for Kanye West and partnered with Jaden Smith. His work is recognized by many macro-influencers including the likes of Mayor Eric Garcetti and Barack Obama.
He established a technology literacy school in Ghana and several other educational programs in California. He has received numerous awards including a $100,000 scholarship in 2019 from the founder of Paypal. In 2020, he created his company SpatialABS, which specializes in space programming, design and architecture in programming, augmented reality and many others.
This is the story of Iddris Sandu, an African native from Accra, Ghana who built both his name and his fortune in a faraway land.
Sources: The African Dream
