The Ecosystem of Nairobi Startups

Kopo Kopo offers a software-as-a-service that enables the 30 million small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets to accept, process, and manage mobile money payments (e.g. Safaricom M-Pesa, Airtel Money). Kopo Kopo is the first company to offer this service on a subscription basis and is positioning itself to be a leader in providing merchant services in emerging markets. Read more

M-Changa is the world’s first SMS-based crowdfunding app. Users solicit support for a cause, track contributions, and withdraw funds all from their mobile phones. Fundraisers are launched in under 2 minutes, can support any cause, and cost nothing to initiate. M-Changa puts fundraising power in the hands of those without access to internet, banking services, or in-person gatherings. We’ve already helped thousands of East Africans raise money for school fees, weddings, funerals, medicine, community rehabilitation, and small business costs and more. Read more

Selina Wamucii is a platform that enables businesses to import food and agricultural produce from Africa by easing sourcing and logistics. Read more

Pesapal is an app to make easy accept of payments. Read more

SOKO is a social enterprise which connects micro-manufacturers and entrepreneurs to access global markets through our proprietary mobile technology. The technology allows vendors to sell their goods directly to global consumers through their personal mobile phones, despite access to a computer, the internet, & a bank account. Our proprietary technology leverages existing telecommunications technology and infrastructure to pioneer a completely new marketplace. This new marketplace revolutionizes the way money and goods are exchanged during international trade into a peer-to-peer exchange, creating economic opportunity and increased profits for vendors and savings for consumers. Read more

Ajira Digital introduces young people to online work and provides the tools. Read more

AMI has a new look, a new platform and a new FREE online course for African managers and entrepreneurs. Read more

Workpay is a Payroll, Benefits, Compliance & embed finance for local and remote teams in Africa. Read more

Once Sync is an innovative fintech company providing a secure trusted cryptocurency exchange and a payment gateway solution Read more

Cytonn Investments is an investment and real estate company. Read more

Utilizing AI to bring Financial Inclusion to Emerging Markets Read more

Bunifu provides software productivity tools for .NET software coders. Read more

CSquared builds metro fiber and Wi-Fi networks to help local providers connect more people to the Internet and each other Read more

Yum.co.ke is Nairobi's premier online food ordering service. We enable customers to browse through the menus of a wide range of Nairobi restaurants, place an order and pay - directly online. For restaurants that don't do their own delivery, our dedicated Yum delivery team ensures that the food is delivered to our customers promptly. Read more

Sokowatch revolutionizes access to essential goods and services by connecting small shops to the digital economy. Read more

LipaLater is a lending marketplace that provides postpaid payments at e-commerce stores. Read more

M-kopa is a clean-energy startup that provides low-income homes with affordable asset financing for connected solar technology and other life-changing products and services. Read more

Enda is the first high-performance running footwear brand Read more

SunCulture designs and sells solar-powered irrigation systems to farmers in Kenya. The SunCulture SolarDrip Irrigation Kit combines the reliability of solar-powered water pumping with the efficiency of low-pressure drip irrigation. The system delivers water directly to crop roots, resulting in yield gains of up to 300% and water savings of up to 90%. The SolarDrip Irrigation Kit also benefits farmers through significant energy, labor, and fertilizer cost savings. Read more

Twiga Foods is a business-to-business marketplace platform that sources produce directly from farmers and delivers it to urban retailers. Read more

Sendyit is an e-logistics delivery platform that connects businesses and drivers of all vehicle types for deliveries. Read more

AZA is a provider of currency trading solutions that accelerate global access to frontier markets through an innovative infrastructure. Read more

Azafinance is a finTech company that provides currency trading solutions offering global access to frontier markets through an innovative structure. They are significantly able to lower the cost and increase the speed of payments to and from frontier markets. Read more

Apollo Agriculture's mission is to deliver modern farming everywhere Read more

EatOut is an food tech and media business primarily based in Kenya and East Africa. Read more

Pesabazaar is Kenya’s prominent online general insurance aggregator. Read more

Flexpay offers an automated platform to enable merchants and their customers manage flexible payments. Read more

Sanergy generates fertilizer and other by-products through providing safe, affordable sanitation in the slums. Read more

Fleetsimplify is a fleet management platform designed to be a one-stop solution for all transport-related needs. Read more

BitPesa offers the cheapest, fastest, most inclusive way to transfer money to Africa. With $1.3B in remittances coming to Kenya each year, and average fees over 9%, there is a huge opportunity to improve on the efficiency and service in this market. BitPesa charges just 3% and uses a transparent market foreign exchange rate, which makes even micro-transfers affordable. Our clients are the diaspora in Europe and North America and send around $100 home each month. They are tech-savvy and price-conscious. We will introduce them to Bitcoin and show them how to make their first coin purchase. After coming to our site, customers simply log in and enter the details of their recipients bank account or mobile money wallet. We lock in a fair exchange rate for the duration of the transfer to remove all forex risk from the client. The transfer is paid for in Bitcoin and delivered in local currency in real time to the recipient, directly to their account or mobile money wallet. Read more

MarketForce360 is an end-to-end solution to manage your field sales activities and grow your distribution channels. Read more

Superfluid Labs delivers Africa's Consumer Credit Risk Analytics platform using AI technologies and alternative data sets Read more

QuickBus aggregates booking for all major bus operators to create greater simplicity for travellers who can book via WhatsApp, USSD and web. QuickBus has integrated with dozens of payment providers across Africa to give a seamless customer experience whilst reducing “cash” fraud for the Bus Operators. Read more

Kili supplies compute power and storage capacity to companies and organizations focused on Africa. Local users see latency to their favorite web or mobile apps cut by 50% or more, leading to a better experience. Developers are also be able to use local payment methods like MPesa to allocate these resources freeing up an entire generation of African technologists to use modern cloud architectures. Kili uses OpenStack and is Amazon Web Services-API compatible for users who want to combine advanced Amazon products and Kili seamlessly. Read more

MPrep is a school in the cloud, an educational engine that propels students and teachers by providing them opportunities with simple technology – SMS studying, mobile web data tools, and a downloadable dashboard. We aren’t an application. We’re a solution for mediocre educational tools in the poorest schools. Read more

Sistema.bio is a hybrid reactor biodigester that transforms the manure of animals into biogas and a potent, natural fertilizer. Read more

Copia Global provides a consumer catalog order and delivery system intended to serve consumers in the developing world. Read more

Kopo Kopo is a US-based company that offers solutions to help businesses grow and prosper through payments. Read more

BuuPass is Kenya's market leader for online bus booking. Read more

Futurepump develops solar-powered irrigation technologies to help the 500 million one-acre farmers around the world. Read more

ImaliPay is a financial health platform offering financial products to freelancers and blue collar gig workers. Read more

UTU us pioneering new models of digital trust to help online businesses and consumers engage and transact in an easier, safer, and more trustworthy way. Read more

Sky.Garden is SaaS ecommerce platform that helps retail stores digitize offline and online sales. Read more

BRCK is a hardware and cloud services technology platform that delivers rugged and reliable connectivity solutions in the most demanding environments. As the next 4.5 billion people (65% of the world) start coming online, the need for rugged, reliable, and simple connectivity becomes critical in places with poor infrastructure and limited resources. While existing technologies work well in modern cities, the demands of emerging markets necessitates a rethinking of how technology is engineered, packaged, delivered, and supported. BRCK was conceived in exactly this type of environment. In particular, our struggles in Africa with reliable connectivity inspired us to rethink the entire concept of rugged internet access device - designing the world’s first go-anywhere, connect-to-anything, always available internet device. Whether running an office of developers or collecting sensor data from the field, the BRCK was designed to ensure that nothing gets in the way of staying connected. Read more

Flare is building innovative life-saving emergency response products for Africa. Read more

Kasha is a platform for women’s health products and information serving women across all socioeconomic levels in urban and rural areas. Read more

Kotani Pay is a technology stack that enables blockchain protocols, dApps, and blockchain FinTech companies. Read more

TaroWorks is a android-based field force management tool designed specifically for non-profits and social enterprises working in the most remote and difficult places on the planet where connectivity is limited. Built on the Salesforce platform, it provides real-time data and feedback loops that connect the head office directly to their field staff and beneficiaries. TaroWorks currently offers the following functionality via the mobile device: • m-Registration – Register an individual, project or other entity • m-Portfolio – Assign specific clients and projects to field officers, download previously collected information about the porfolio on the mobile device • m-Monitor – Track changes to a person, project or other entity overtime • m-Training – Distribute structured text or video training content in the field. • m-Performance – View progress against targets on the mobile device • m-Transact – Collect point-of-sale transctions Read more