This archive report was first published on 30 August 2019.
Kenya has emerged as the African hotspot for startups, thanks to its rich education system and supportive environment for the tech industry. The country even boasts its own Silicon Valley, dubbed the Silicon Savannah.
With these hospitable conditions, a large number of startups have emerged, but not all of them succeed. However, some are showing great promise, solving a wide variety of market problems with innovative approaches.
On August 30, 2019, we highlighted some of the most exciting Kenyan startups of the year. In this article, we'll revisit these success stories and explore what makes them stand out.
Food4Education: A Remedy for Poverty ¶
Food4Education is a social enterprise founded by Wawira Njiru, which provides medical aid, food, tuition support, and mentorship to financially disadvantaged Kenyan children. Since its inception, it has helped feed over 500,000 children.
The startup uses innovative technology, including its Tap2Eat fintech mobile platform, to further its reach. This initiative has garnered attention, having received funds from the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation.
Bluewave Insurance: Affordable Insurance Services ¶
Bluewave Insurance, founded by Adelaide Adhiambo, aims to provide people with the insurance services, tools, and products they need to make their lives more comfortable. With their help, a person can pay as little as $0.4 per week to cover their insurance costs.
Bluewave's work has received recognition, especially in 2018 when it dominated the Seedstars Convention in Nairobi. It also attended the Switzerland Summit edition of Seedstars, where it was among the running to win $1 million in funding.
Tulaa: Connecting Farmers to the Agricultural Market ¶
Tulaa, an offshoot of Hillary Miller-Wise's Esoko in 2017, grants its users access to the wider agricultural market. It connects farmers, financial institutions, and input suppliers to enable rapid money lending and spending via mobile devices.
The business has gained traction, helping some 10,000 farmers with their work, and has entered into partnerships with world-class brands such as Toyota.
FlexPay: Making Everyday Spending More Affordable ¶
FlexPay, founded by Dennis Karanu, Martin Maina, Richard Machomba, and Johnson Mwangi, is making everyday spending more affordable. The startup's principle is to give users more flexible payment options for purchasing both services and products.
FlexPay covers everything from routine shopping to tuition payments, allowing for a range of payment plans with flexible options regarding installments and rates.
WorkPay: Streamlining Africa's Workforce-Management Industry ¶
WorkPay, founded by Paul Kimani, promises to streamline Africa's workforce-management industry. The company received $50,000 from Pangae Accelerator to develop its product.
WorkPay combines top-notch payroll and HR software to facilitate a comprehensive cloud-based platform for worker management in Africa. The software gives businesses complete oversight of their workforce, allowing them to manage every aspect of their workers' schedules from start to finish.
