TECH STARS (960)
With over 10 years of experience in business management, engineering, and project execution, he offers a comprehensive business management application that enables users to focus entirely on their strategy and business growth.
Paul Kimani (photo), a Kenyan electronics engineer and entrepreneur, is the co-founder and CEO of Workpay, a startup focused on making payroll, benefits, and human resource management solutions accessible and affordable for businesses across Africa.
Founded in 2019 by Paul Kimani and Jackson Kibigo, Workpay offers a comprehensive solution for managing human resources, payroll, and employee benefits, designed for fast-growing companies. The platform allows businesses to focus on their strategy and growth instead of repetitive administrative tasks.
The Workpay app provides companies with online services and real-time team management from a smartphone. It features precise time-tracking, facilitates the recruitment of top talent across the continent, delivers real-time expense insights, and enables performance management.
Paul Kimani holds a bachelor's degree in electronic and electrical engineering, obtained in 2013 from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. His professional career began in 2007 at Equity Bank Ltd, where he worked as a relationship officer.
In 2010, he joined software development company MTL Systems as a web and mobile application developer. In 2014, he became the commercial director at Coolpoint HVAC Engineers Ltd, a Kenyan company specializing in air conditioning, heating, refrigeration, and ventilation services. The following year, he joined Afrisoft Africa Ltd, an IT company, as executive director, a position he held until 2018.
Melchior Koba
A tech entrepreneur with over 7 years of experience in software development, he has designed a digital security network aimed at protecting homes from attacks and break-ins.
Anatoli Kirigwajjo (photo) is a Ugandan computer scientist and entrepreneur, co-founder of Yunga Technologies, a company that develops community security devices for households. Founded in 2018, Yunga Technologies specializes in digital security technologies in Uganda. By leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT), the company designs tools aimed at preventing crime and enhancing community safety.
The Yunga system is a local digital emergency network that connects neighbors and links them to the police during emergencies. The device sends alert messages to other devices within the network, including the victim's coordinates and address, facilitating a swift community response. Notably, the system functions in areas without internet access, utilizing a long-range network with a 20 km radius. It can connect to both smartphones and basic phones via SMS.
Prior to founding Yunga, Kirigwajjo co-developed an application called E-liiso with two colleagues. This app captures a photograph of the eye and analyzes the image to detect conditions such as color blindness, myopia, hyperopia, and cataracts. He served as the Chief Technology Officer for the company behind this application, Sight for Everyone, from 2016 to 2017.
Kirigwajjo graduated from Makerere University, where he studied computer programming from 2011 to 2015. In 2023, he received the Engineering Innovation Award for Africa, presented by the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom.
Melchior Koba
After his studies in France and the United States, he embarked on an entrepreneurial journey to simplify life for African populations. He offers the Senegalese diaspora living in Europe a digital solution to send money to their loved ones back home.
Lamine Tall (photo) is a Senegalese computer scientist and tech entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Cauri Money, a fintech company that enables the African diaspora to send money to their home countries. Founded in 2019, Cauri Money began its operations in January 2020, with a mission to facilitate money transfers from Senegalese expatriates to their families back home. The startup offers "a digital platform designed for African diasporas, aggregating alternative solutions to traditional money transfers at unbeatable prices."
SInce its creation, the platform’s stated ambition is to symplify money transfers from Europe to Senegal, while integrating Senegalese values and ensuring total security. Users can transfers between $0.17 and $10,000 fee-free with the platform ensuring optimal transparency for every transaction.
In addition to Cauri Money, Lamine Tall co-founded Samaritanz Technologies in 2017, a company that develops a social network to facilitate the collection and redistribution of food donations by non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Lamine Tall holds a bachelor's degree in information technology from SKEMA Business School in France, as well as a master's degree in business information technology from Virginia Tech in the United States. In 2016, he also earned a master's degree in strategy from EDHEC Business School in France.
His professional career began in France in 2016, where he worked as a junior associate at CGI Business Consulting. In 2018, he joined EY as a consultant in digital business transformation, before becoming a fintech and financial services consultant at Deloitte in 2019.
On August 3, 2024, his startup, Cauri Money received a $25,000 investment from artist Pharrell Williams as part of the Black Ambition program.
Melchior Koba
After finishing his accounting training, he furthered his skills by specializing in technology during his studies in China. With this combined expertise, he uses his knowledge of the financial sector to promote digital payments throughout Africa
Junior Octave Kankue Denkey (photo), an accountant by training and a seasoned tech entrepreneur from Togo, is the co-founder and CEO of MiaPay, a fintech startup dedicated to simplifying everyday payments by connecting merchants and consumers. Founded in 2023, MiaPay features a unified app and an integrated digital wallet, offering users a convenient method for making digital payments and accessing a variety of financial services. With MiaPay, users can recharge their wallets, transfer and withdraw funds, and make offline payments at hundreds of partner merchants.
MiaPay also streamlines taxi fare payments through QR code transactions, providing users with bonuses of up to 20% per transaction. Currently in beta in Togo, the startup plans to extend its operations to Benin and Burkina Faso. To enhance its service offerings, MiaPay aims to integrate features such as bill payments for electricity, access to instant loans, mobile phone top-ups, and meal ordering. On August 15, in Lagos, Nigeria, the startup qualified for the finals of the Ecobank Fintech Challenge 2024, which is set to take place on September 27 in Lomé.
In addition to MiaPay, Octave Denkey is also the co-founder and non-executive director of Kiosk Global, a social commerce platform established in 2023 that connects Chinese suppliers with African consumers. Prior to MiaPay and Kiosk Global, he launched several other startups.
In 2011, he co-founded Miaplenou Group, an online retailer based in Togo. In 2014, he founded Ahaa Tech, a company that enhances the experiences of foreign travelers in China by guiding them to unique places and events. In 2017, he was instrumental in establishing Zocentive, a lifestyle and wellness app, and two years later, he launched Sumo Tech, an innovative platform that connects merchants and consumers across Africa.
Octave Denkey holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and business management from the University of Lomé, which he earned in 2012. He also graduated from the South China University of Technology. From 2012 to 2020, he served as a One Young World ambassador in Togo, representing a global community of young leaders.
Melchior Koba
He is committed to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises by streamlining their operations and enhancing their profitability. To achieve this, he offers an innovative technological solution that enables real-time inventory tracking and management.
Tunisian computer scientist and entrepreneur Seddik Houimli (photo) is the founder and CEO of SupplyzPro, a tech startup helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) optimize their operations management.
Founded in 2023, SupplyzPro offers an innovative platform allowing businesses to track inventory in real-time, regardless of location. The solution provides tools for tracking, forecasting, and reporting, simplifying inventory processes and eliminating outdated practices.
The platform streamlines operations, reduces manual errors, and improves accuracy across the supply chain. Users can easily access up-to-date information on their inventory, including stock levels and demand. This results in more efficient management, better cost control, and increased responsiveness.
Houimli also works as a cloud solutions architect at Microsoft in Germany and is part of the operations and growth team at START Munich, an entrepreneurial community. He holds a computer science degree from the Technical University of Munich, obtained in 2023.
Before his entrepreneurial venture, Houimli worked as a teaching assistant at the Technical University of Munich from 2020 to 2021. He also served as a business intelligence analyst at SpaceTrec Partners (now Novospace), a company providing decision-makers in both public and private sectors with information to better manage their organizations. In 2022, Houimli worked as operations manager for Evadam, a Tunisian tech startup combating online fraud and money laundering.
Melchior Koba
After several years working for financial institutions in the United States and Nigeria, she decided to venture into entrepreneurship. Today, she leverages her expertise and new technologies to serve African lenders, thereby making credit more accessible.
Yvonne Johnson (photo) is a Nigerian entrepreneur and investor. As co-founder and CEO of Indicina, a venture capital-backed fintech, she is driving financial inclusion across the continent.
Founded in 2017 by Johnson, Jacob Ayokunle, Carlos del Carpio, and Yemi Ajao, Indicina leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to streamline lending for financial institutions. The company’s flagship products, Originate and Decide, provide a comprehensive solution for loan origination, management, and risk assessment.
Originate handles the entire loan lifecycle, from issuance to recovery and growth. Decide, on the other hand, offers credit risk models to help lenders make informed decisions and minimize defaults.
Beyond Indicina, Johnson is an active investor and advisor in early-stage tech companies, with a focus on West Africa and the Middle East and North Africa region. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Prior to her entrepreneurial ventures, Johnson worked in investment banking at Merrill Lynch in 2008. Subsequently, she served as head of strategy and corporate development at First Bank of Nigeria from 2009 to 2018 before fully dedicating herself to Indicina.
Melchior Koba
After five years of medical studies, he ventured into entrepreneurship by developing a telemedicine platform. The platform allows Djiboutians to receive medical care without leaving the comfort of their homes.
Moubarik Mahamoud (photo) is a Djiboutian entrepreneur well-versed in technology, healthcare, and communication. He is the founder and CEO of Medyc, an innovative startup in the healthcare sector.
Founded in 2020, Medyc specializes in e-health. The startup has developed an online teleconsultation platform that connects patients with healthcare specialists. This solution enables patients to easily access doctors, monitor their health, and evaluate the effectiveness of their treatments, all while enjoying the convenience of remote care.
In addition to teleconsultations, Medyc provides home care services, medication delivery, and direct supply of medical devices to patients. The platform centralizes users' medical information, offering simplified and secure access to health data. A connected laboratory feature allows patients to review their test results and receive interpretations.
Simultaneously, Moubarik Mahamoud serves as the Executive Director of Vivaway.co, an investment platform that allows users to grow their savings through investments in companies, either via equity acquisition or direct loans. The platform also offers businesses a new avenue for financing.
As a consultant in communication and web development, Mahamoud leverageshis expertise to create, manage, and optimize web and multimedia projects.
He completed five years of medical studies at Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Guinea from 2014 to 2019. In 2022, he earned a master's degree in management and business administration from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, along with an executive MBA from Sorbonne Business School in the same year.
Melchior Koba
While living in Germany, he faced challenges accessing credit. To overcome this hurdle, he developed a tech platform that helps users save money toward their personal goals.
Ahmed Wadi is an Egyptian computer scientist and entrepreneur, serving as the founder and CEO of Money Fellows. His mission is to enhance financial inclusion in Africa by providing interest-free credit and savings solutions. Established in 2016, this fintech startup offers a more accessible and affordable alternative to traditional banking services.
“I got the Money Fellows idea in 2016 while I was in Germany trying to save money and access credit. It wasn’t easy because I wasn’t born in Germany, and I had difficulty finding ROSCAs (Rotating Savings and Credit Associations). This prompted me to think: why not modernize and digitize this age-old savings model and give people worldwide the opportunity to participate in ROSCAs together?” Wadi explained in 2022.
The platform enables users to join savings circles, maximizing their savings returns. Users can tailor their plans by setting specific goals, desired amounts, and payment methods. Contributions range from $5 to $400, with savings plans available for six, ten, or twelve months. To date, over 4 million people have utilized the platform. As of July 2024, the startup is preparing to expand into Morocco.
Prior to founding Money Fellows, Wadi launched Objectly in 2005, a software solution for tracking objects using IP cameras. Until 2006, he worked closely with Microsoft’s innovation center in Cairo to refine his algorithms.
Wadi graduated from the University of Stuttgart in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in computer science. He also holds a master's degree in information technology from the Technical University of Munich, which he earned in 2014. Following his studies, he began his career as a developer at the National Bank of Kuwait in 2009. In 2010, he joined Magneti Marelli, an automotive supplier, as a software engineer. From 2011 to 2013, he worked as a software developer at Alpine Electronics R&D Europe in Germany.
Melchior Koba
With degrees in finance and human physiology, he turned his focus to the healthcare industry. Using technology, he created an innovative solution to simplify medical bill payments for patients.
Jabulani Nyembe, a South African entrepreneur, is dedicated to improving access to healthcare services for all. He is the founder of Athena, a startup that creates solutions to make healthcare payments more manageable.
Founded in 2022, Athena allows patients to split their healthcare payments through its platform while gaining immediate access to necessary care. It facilitates the financing of co-payments and out-of-pocket medical expenses. With Athena, repayments can be spread over 3 to 6 months, and the startup claims to be more cost-effective than other credit solutions, charging only administrative fees. It helps users develop payment plans for medical expenses ranging from 500 rands (about 27 dollars) to 30,000 rands.
Before launching Athena, Jabulani Nyembe founded Clinalytics in 2018, where he served as CEO until 2022. Clinalytics provides software solutions to private practice physicians, helping them reduce workload, digitize medical records, and utilize analytics tools to improve clinical outcomes.
Nyembe holds a bachelor's degree in human physiology from the University of Pretoria and a bachelor's degree in finance and economics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. After his studies, he worked as a clinical data analyst and administrator in 2017. In 2018, he joined Amanzi Social Enterprise, an Enactus project aimed at addressing water scarcity in South Africa, as a project manager.
Melchior Koba
An experienced nurse, she is committed to democratizing healthcare in Africa. A few years ago, she founded an innovative company that leverages technology to simplify access to nursing services.
Ginyu Innocentia Kwalar is a Cameroonian nurse and entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Klarah, a startup dedicated to providing quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare to every African. Founded in 2021, Klarah connects experienced nurses to with patients through mobile applications and interactive dashboards. "We are leveraging technology to match nurses to patients so that quality healthcare can be offered in the comfort of their homes," explained Ginyu Innocentia Kwalar in 2023.
Klarah's nurses are trained to simplify medical jargon, discuss health issues, and help patients ask relevant questions about their well-being. The startup offers a range of services, including wound care, health check-ups, diabetic and hypertension care, post-hospitalization care, and patient education. Currently, Klarah has 400 dedicated nurses providing patient care.
Ginyu Innocentia Kwalar is also an assistant lecturer at the University of Buea, where she earned a bachelor's degree in nursing in 2001 and a PhD in public health in 2022. She holds a master's degree in internal medicine from the University of Yaoundé 1, obtained in 2008. To gain experience, she worked as a nurse at Nkambe District Hospital from 2003 to 2010. From 2013 to 2021, she served as a senior nurse at Buea Regional Hospital, where she was in charge of the emergency and outpatient units.
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A computer science graduate, he focuses on creating mobile games inspired by African culture. As the head of Qene Games, he has developed two award-winning games.
Dawit Abraham (photo), an Ethiopian computer scientist and tech entrepreneur, is the co-founder and CEO of Qene Games, a mobile game publishing company based in Ethiopia.
Founded in 2016, Qene Games aims to showcase the richness and beauty of Ethiopian culture in the global gaming and entertainment industry. The startup has launched two mobile games so far.
Kukulu, their first game, is a 3D runner where the player, represented by a rooster, must escape a farmer by jumping over fences and running through bushes. Their second game, Gebeta, is a mobile board game based on the principles of mancala games (awélé, bao, kalaha, etc.). Gebeta was later acquired by the pan-African mobile game publisher Carry1st.
Kukulu won the AppsAfrica award for Best Media and Entertainment App in 2018, while Gebeta was awarded the AppsAfrica prize for Best App of the Year in 2020.
Dawit is also a co-founder and spokesperson for the Pan Africa Gaming Group, a network established in 2022 that brings together top video game development talents in Africa. In 2023, he became the co-founder and CEO of Beemi, an interactive streaming platform focused on games.
After graduating from Addis Ababa University with a bachelor's degree in electrical and computer engineering, Dawit's career began in 2015 at iCog-Labs, an Ethiopian R&D company specializing in AI and robotics, where he worked as a game developer and machine learning programmer. In 2020, he was a game developer at Turing, a U.S.-based AI company, and then joined the International Finance Corporation as a product development advisor from 2020 to 2023.
Melchior Koba
After completing his higher education in France, he worked on artificial intelligence projects for companies such as Facebook and Google. Now an entrepreneur, he leverages his expertise to improve access to healthcare services in Africa.
Moustapha Cisse (photo), a Senegalese expert in artificial intelligence and machine learning, founded Kera Health Platforms in 2023, a startup that develops a digital health platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI), where he serves as CEO. Kera Health Platforms connects healthcare providers with communities to promote healthier lives in Africa and beyond.
The idea for this startup dates back to 2004 when Moustapha Cisse, then 19 years old, fell seriously ill. His condition worsened due to a misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. "I had been misdiagnosed, and what I was being treated for was slowly killing me. I was eventually correctly diagnosed and treated, and through a long process, I recovered. That was one of the most difficult experiences of my lifetime and left me deeply curious about how something like that could happen. I went to university and studied math, physics, and artificial intelligence. Still, I was curious about the health sector and knew there was an opportunity to leverage technology to solve some of Africa’s most pressing healthcare needs," he recounted in May 2024.
Moustapha Cisse is a professor of machine learning at the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences. In 2018, he founded the African Masters of Machine Intelligence, a graduate program in AI that he has directed ever since.
A graduate of Pierre and Marie Curie University in France, Moustapha Cisse earned a master's degree in artificial intelligence in 2010 and a Ph.D. in computer science in 2014. In 2016, he joined Facebook as an AI researcher. In 2018, he co-founded and led until June 2023, Google's first AI engineering and research center in Africa, located in Accra, Ghana.
Melchior Koba
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is key to the Kenyan government's socioeconomic development strategy. To achieve its ambitious goals, the country is enlisting the expertise of experienced professionals to guide its efforts.
On Monday, July 29, the Kenyan government announced the recruitment of 46 ICT directors who will be assigned to various ministries and state departments. These ICT leaders are expected to utilize their skills and expertise to create job opportunities for young, unemployed Kenyans.
The 46 engineers, appointed as part of an ongoing government reshuffle, will focus on enhancing service delivery to citizens and developing the digital economy.
"Their diverse expertise in Research and Digital Innovation, Software Development, E-commerce and Entrepreneurship, Cybersecurity, and Systems Audit and Control will be instrumental in advancing the Ministry's mission to build an informed and digitally empowered Kenyan society," said John Kipchumba Tanui, Principal Secretary of the State Department for ICT and Digital Economy.
This recruitment initiative is part of the Kenyan government's broader strategy to generate digital jobs for youth through the digital highway and creative economy, which are key components of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). This agenda serves as a crucial catalyst for other economic pillars, aiming to boost investments in sectors vital for economic growth and household well-being.
The newly appointed directors will work diligently to help the government achieve its ambitious digital objectives. Their contributions are expected to enhance administrative efficiency, improve public service delivery, strengthen digital infrastructure, and drive economic growth through digital transformation initiatives.
For the 2024/2025 fiscal year, the Kenyan executive has allocated approximately $125.3 million to ICT sector projects, marking a significant increase from the $108.4 million designated for the 2023/2024 fiscal year.
Samira Njoya
An IT specialist by training, he helps African online retailers streamline their parcel delivery process. His digital solution accelerates and simplifies the shipping of goods.
Imad El Mansour Zekri(photo) is a Moroccan IT specialist and tech entrepreneur, serving as the founder and CEO of Cathedis, a tech startup focused on parcel delivery for e-commerce businesses.
Established in 2015, Cathedis provides a fully digital logistics platform designed to cater to consumer needs. The company offers services such as delivery options, online or cash-on-delivery payments, and real-time tracking of parcels and delivery personnel. Cathedis aims to digitize and automate the centralization and distribution of parcels across Africa.
"We offer a fully digital delivery solution that includes pickup from stores, order processing, physical delivery, proof of delivery, and funds return," Zekri explained in 2020.
Zekri holds a specialized technician diploma in IT management, which he obtained in 2008 from Pigier School in Morocco. He also earned a master's degree in systems engineering, networks, and security in 2011 from the Faculty of Science and Technology at Hassan 1st University in Settat, Morocco.
To build his expertise, Zekri began his career in 2010 as a technical sales engineer at AGT Maroc, a company specializing in the integration of IT and telecom networks. In 2015, he transitioned to Integradis Europe, where he continued as a technical sales engineer, focusing on IT development and digital services.
Melchior Koba