Across Africa, a fintech revolution is underway, fuelled by over $2.7 billion in investment since 2021. In Kenya, where the scene is particularly fertile, 24-year-old Collins Kathuli exemplifies a new generation of entrepreneurs democratizing access to financial services. 

Collins Kathuli (photo), a Kenyan computer scientist and technology entrepreneur with a focus on the finance sector, is the co-founder and CEO of Kyanda, a startup committed to providing affordable financial services and addressing the issue of unbanked and underbanked populations in Africa.

Established in 2019, Kyanda's vision is to offer secure and convenient access to financial services at an affordable rate, efficiently and transparently, to reach everyone, anytime. The platform facilitates money transfers, payments, and bill settlements from the comfort of users' homes, catering to both individuals looking to streamline their finances and business owners seeking to optimize financial operations. Having successfully served over 10,000 users in Kenya, Kyanda recently expanded its reach to South Africa. The platform notably enables South Africans to form or join groups to collectively save money towards shared objectives.

Collins Kathuli earned his Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering from KCA University in March 2023. Since 2021, he has been actively contributing as a mentor at Techstars Startup Weekend Nairobi, a 54-hour event designed to provide valuable experiential training for both technical and non-technical entrepreneurs.

The winner of the Anzisha Prize 2022 has received several awards and distinctions during his entrepreneurial career. In 2020, at the FOYA Awards, he received the fintech founder of the year award in East Africa, and in 2021 the first prize at the Global Student Entrepreneurship Awards. In 2022, his company was voted best fintech in Kenya, and he won the Fintech Innovator of the Year award at the Africatech Festival.

Melchior Koba