TECH STARS (874)
Through its commitment to technology education, skills development, and entrepreneurship, Mt Kenya Hub promotes inclusive economic growth in Kenya and across Africa.
Founded in 2015 by Savio Wambugu, a software developer, Mt Kenya Hub is a key player in Kenya's technology ecosystem. Located in the heart of the country, this innovation and incubation hub is dedicated to training, skills development, and mentoring for young entrepreneurs. It is a meeting place for all those interested in innovation.
Mt Kenya Hub offers a physical platform to support entrepreneurs and startups. Its events, training, and entrepreneurship programs transform ideas into job-creating businesses and add value to the African economy in general, and Kenya in particular. One of its flagship programs is Mt Kenya Innovation Week Acceleration, an intensive six-month program designed to help entrepreneurs and innovators grow their businesses and take them to the next level.
An example of its notable initiatives is Mt Kenya Innovation and Investment Week, an annual event that aims to bring together inventors, entrepreneurs, and innovators for a week of discussions, panels, conferences, exhibitions, and hackathons. The event gives young people, startups and women access to fundamental knowledge, digital tools, and platforms to enable them to become better innovators, entrepreneurs, and technology leaders.
In addition to its incubation and acceleration activities, Mt Kenya Hub offers an innovative and user-friendly coworking space to provide an environment conducive to meeting, networking, and collaboration. It provides services ranging from small-scale investigative research to large-scale data collection and analysis. It also offers consulting services in several fields.
The center also organizes competitions to reward the best entrepreneurs and encourage innovation. In 2022, its Mt Kenya Innovation Week Awards challenge awarded $3,000 to three of the best innovators. It was then in its second edition.
Melchior Koba
Aklilu Tadesse is an innovative and ambitious entrepreneur contributing to the development of the logistics sector in Ethiopia. His company Garri Logistics is supported by Google through various programs.
Aklilu Tadesse (photo) is the CEO and one of the co-founders of Garri Logistics, an Ethiopian startup that facilitates domestic freight and digitalizes supply chain processes. He graduated from the University of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, with a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering.
In 2020, he launched Garri Logistics, together with Daniel Temesgen and Michael Andersland. The idea is to enable shippers and importers to easily and reliably move their goods anywhere in the country, using approved carriers. With that in mind, Garri Logistics takes care of all aspects of the supply chain, from requesting quotes to delivering paperwork, including real-time transport tracking. The logistics company is also beneficial to professional drivers, who can earn more money per trip, have a safer and more flexible work experience, and develop better relationships with shippers. It strives to find multiple, round-trip routes to minimize empty miles and maximize user revenue.
In 2022, Garri Logistics was selected as one of the 60 startups in the second cohort of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund for Africa program. More recently, on October 5, 2023, the company was selected to participate in the Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First program.
Prior to Garri Logistics, Aklilu Tadesse was a Business Systems Analyst at Construction Solutions. In 2006, he became a Quality Engineer at Flintstone Engineering, an Ethiopian construction company. As a senior consultant with GIZ Ethiopia, he has helped over 100 construction companies achieve ISO 9001 QMS certification, and trained over 2,500 people in leadership, project, operations, and quality management as well as process analysis and optimization.
Melchior Koba
According to the UN, climate change is one of the major challenges of our times. More so in Africa, which is bearing the highest cost despite accounting for the lowest carbon emissions. In Ghana, a tech entrepreneur wants to contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions, therefore helping combat climate change. Through Solar Taxi, he ensures a clean and sustainable environment with taxis that use renewable energy.
Ghanaian tech entrepreneur George Kwadwo Appiah (photo) is the CEO and one of the co-founders of Solar Taxi, a local transport services company offering solar-powered vehicles.
He graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in 2016, earning a master's degree in renewable energy technology. The same year, he earned a master’s in business administration from the Edinburgh Business School.
His company was founded in 2018. It provides locally assembled electric motorcycles, tricycles, and cars, as well as access to solar charging stations. Doing so, it aims to reduce air pollution caused by gasoline-powered vehicles, offer Ghanaians an affordable transport alternative, and create jobs for young people.
It also has a training academy where Ghanaians are taught how to drive and maintain electric vehicles. On September 21, 2023, it was announced among the selectees for the Google for Startups Accelerator: Climate Change.
Currently, its CEO, George Kwadwo Appiah, is a research assistant at KNUST's The Energy Center. In 2014, he founded Ghana Hubs Network, a network of Ghanaian innovation centers. He is also the CEO of QuadSolar, a solar system installation company, and Executive Director of Ghana Tech Lab, an ecosystem that serves as a digital innovation space aimed at accelerating digital skills and digital entrepreneurship in Ghana.
In 2015, he co-founded Kumasi Hive, a coworking, training, and incubation space that aims to promote social and technological entrepreneurship in Ghana. Kumasi Hive offers young innovators access to equipment, mentors, training, and funding opportunities to develop their ideas and solutions. Solar Taxi was founded through Kumasi Hive.
George Kwadwo Appiah received the Academic/Research Excellence Award (student category) in 2014. His company, Solar Taxi, has also attracted international attention. It was featured by The Org network as one of three African electromobility startups to watch in 2023.
Melchior Koba
Far from being just a workspace, Com'Work is a community of like-minded entrepreneurs who want to change the Comoros. It offers personalized support tailored to each beneficiary startup’s development stage.
Comoros Coworking (Com'Work) is a modern, creative coworking space and incubator located in downtown Moroni. It was created in 2018 by young entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs.
The incubator offers a variety of services to professionals, associations, and creative agencies wishing to work in a stimulating and collaborative environment. It has 4 individual offices, a coworking open space with 10 workstations, a meeting room, a relaxation room, and two furnished studios.
It regularly organizes training courses, expert meetings, and meet-ups to encourage exchange, networking, and capacity-building among entrepreneurs. It also assists project leaders in their search for financing.
The center offers both pre-incubation and incubation programs. Its pre-incubation program supports entrepreneurs in the process of moving from idea to action. It can be delivered face-to-face over three months or online over six months. The program consists of educational content, thematic workshops, and daily individual coaching.
The incubation program, meanwhile, enables entrepreneurs to explore the market to validate their business model, test the market to acquire the first customers, establish and commit to a financing strategy, and build the start-up team in line with the target market. Program beneficiaries have privileged access to financing and tailor-made training.
In addition to these two programs, Com'Work also offers an à la carte support program to help entrepreneurs develop their projects at their own pace and according to their needs. At the end of the programs, the incubator offers business consulting services in several areas of expertise.
Melchior Koba
Ms. Amira Cheniour pushes the boundaries of innovation to heal the planet and improve the lives of farmers. With Seabex, she demonstrates that agriculture can be a promising sector for Tunisia and Africa.
She got the Seabex idea during a trip to southern Tunisia, where she met a farmer who lost a large part of his date crop to drought. She then decided to put her skills at the service of agriculture, a vital sector for her country, but one facing many challenges.
The company has developed a remote AI-based irrigation monitoring and control system that uses sensors installed on the farms to determine the water and fertilizer needs, enabling farmers to act efficiently.
Seabex also offers a Software as a Service service to farmers, who can access data and recommendations on their smartphones or computers.
Since its creation, Seabex has enjoyed remarkable success, both nationally and internationally. The startup has won several prestigious awards, such as the Orange Prize for Social Entrepreneurship in Africa and the Middle East in 2017, and the Innovation Trophy at the Agreen Startup 2023 competition in the category of startups that collaborate with chambers of agriculture. It was also selected as one of the beneficiaries of the Google for Startups Accelerator: Climate Change program for the Middle East and Africa.
Amira Cheniour began her professional career in 2011 at Orange Tunisia, where she completed an end-of-study internship. She then worked for software publisher I.T.Grapes between 2011 and 2020. She launched Seabex, in 2015, with Taher Mestiri, the founder of I.T.Grapes.
Internationally, she is celebrated for her exceptional career and leadership. She was voted Star-Female Entrepreneur at the 2017 G20 in Berlin and received the Ye Star-Female Entrepreneur award at the Global Inclusion Awards program held in 2017 in Berlin, Germany.
In 2018, she was the winner of the Women in Africa and Social Entrepreneur of the Year in MENA issued by Orange Tunisia. She was selected among 6 winners at the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2019 final in Paris. She was also on the 2020 edition of the Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs in Tunisia published by The Next Women Tunisia network.
Melchior Koba
He aims to improve access to healthcare services in Africa. With Zinacare, he offers over 20 different tests, ranging from sexually transmitted infections to chronic diseases and even Covid-19.
Philip Mngadi (photo) is a South African serial entrepreneur with a decade of experience building products in Africa and Europe. He is the founder and CEO of Zinacare, a company revolutionizing access to essential health testing services in Africa.
His academic career began at University College Cork, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 2017. After his studies, he worked for Stripe in Ireland as a payments specialist before embarking on entrepreneurship.
In 2020, he launched Zinacare, allowing access to more than 20 different tests, which range from sexually transmitted infections to chronic diseases and COVID-19. He enables users to order test kits from the Zinacare platform and get them delivered to their homes or offices. Users can also send their samples to Zinacare's partner laboratory, which sends back the results online confidentially and securely. Zinacare also offers medical consultation, prescription, and post-test follow-up services.
Under the leadership of Philip Mngadi, Zinacare has received accreditation from the Health Professions Council of South Africa, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, the South African National Accreditation System, and the International Organization for Standardization. In addition, the company succeeded in attracting over 20,000 customers in 2022 and is on track to double the figure in 2023.
In June 2023, the startup was selected by Google to be part of the annual Black Founders Fund cohort in Africa. It has also joined StartUp Health's global community of healthcare founders and investors.
In addition to Zinacare, Philip Mngadi also founded Pago, a low-cost mobile micropayments platform for the informal sector to enable an inclusive economy by digitizing remittances through the use of blockchain technology. The company was incubated by the AlphaCode Incubate initiative in 2018.
In 2019, the serial entrepreneur also founded Tuma, a fintech that enables users to transfer funds from any instant money wallet such as eWallet, CashSend, and Send-iMali, to any bank account in South Africa.
Melchior Koba
Thanks to its innovative programs and ongoing support for women entrepreneurs, Ndoto plays a crucial role in promoting the economic empowerment of women on the continent.
Ndoto Hub is an innovation space dedicated to women who want to create and develop social and economic enterprises in Africa. Founded in 2017, it offers women access to shared workspace, information, mentoring, networks, and markets tailored to their personal and professional growth. The hub is supported by a digital learning platform and member-led community groups.
Its activities and programs aim to empower women entrepreneurs under the age of 35 in various areas, such as personal development, business development, leadership, financial management, digital, problem-solving, and more. Ndoto Hub also offers financing opportunities, partnerships, and introductions to investors, potential customers, and opinion leaders.
Its Ndoto Digital incubator enables women to learn, start, and develop a business. It also provides them with the experts and practical tools they need to learn.
Present in Dar es Salaam and Arusha, Ndolo wants to propel the next generation of innovative and successful women entrepreneurs. It is supported by a market-driven curriculum designed to meet the needs of young women entrepreneurs.
Ndoto Hub is therefore a key player in the African entrepreneurial ecosystem. A member of the AfriLabs network, it is supported in its efforts by Digital Opportunity Trust Tanzania and the Government of Canada, as well as other national and international institutions.
Melchior Koba
He is an entrepreneur in the field of renewable energy. As a team lead at energy startup NeedEnergy, he brings clean energy solutions to the world's most remote regions.
Leroy T. Nyangani (photo) is the team lead and one of the co-founders of NeedEnergy, a Zimbabwean startup that uses artificial intelligence to optimize renewable energy microgrids in sub-Saharan Africa and remote parts of the world.
A chemical engineer by training, he graduated from the Zimbabwe National University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor's degree in 2019. He co-founded NeedEnergy in 2016 with the ambition of deploying renewable and clean energy assets to over 200 million people by 2030.
NeedEnergy provides smart data to renewable energy microgrid operators, by analyzing meteorological data. It aims to extend access to clean energy in sub-Saharan Africa as well as in remote areas of the world.
Via its platform memeza.ai, NeedEnergy collects data from various IoT (Internet of Things) devices such as smart gas meters and home energy monitors to analyze the energy needs of the distribution network. This data is used to form models, helping to identify opportunities for the deployment of renewable energy generation assets. Once deployed, these assets are monitored and managed via the platform to guarantee their power and performance.
On September 21, 2023, the company was selected as part of the inaugural cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator: Climate Change program for startups in the Middle East and Africa.
Prior to NeedEnergy, Leroy T. Nyangani founded Mornay Foods, which offers an on-demand food ordering service and a restaurant that mainly targets university campuses and office parks. His professional career began in 2015 at Bakers Inn Zimbabwe, a bakery, where he was a production and packaging specialist.
He has been recognized as an innovative entrepreneur committed to the energy transition. He was selected as a Unreasonable Fellow by Unreasonable Group, an organization that supports entrepreneurs who solve the world's greatest challenges. Since March 2023, he is a Techstars Entrepreneur following the selection of NeedEnergy as part of the 2023 Class of the Equinor & Techstars Energy Accelerator.
Melchior Koba
In addition to quality services, companies usually need good customer interaction to acquire new clients and retain existing ones. This realization prompted tech entrepreneur Japheth Dibo to develop customer support solutions for SMEs.
Japheth Dibo (photo), CEO of Dial Afrika, is a Kenyan entrepreneur with a passion for information technology. He founded Dial Afrika, in 2021, with his partner Benard Gavana to provide a unified communications solution that enables African SMEs to stay in touch with clients and get insights into customer behaviors.
Through his company, the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) graduate offers SMEs the possibility of receiving and responding to client comments, calls, and opinions right from a single platform that integrates various channels.
"It does not matter which platform a customer gives their feedback or query from. Once the company responds through the software, from the other end, the customer may think they are receiving the feedback from the platform they used to send their queries,” the tech entrepreneur explained in 2022.
Dial Afrika also uses artificial intelligence to collect and analyze data on customers to help companies make more informed decisions.
The company, endorsed by over 150 customers in five countries, aims to help SMEs build customer loyalty, increase sales and optimize customer service. On October 5, 2023, it was selected, along with 10 other start-ups, to participate in the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa: AI First program.
Before embarking on that exciting journey, Japheth Dibo worked for GoldBet, a Kenyan sports betting company between 2016 and 2017. There, he successively held the positions of customer technical support representative and IT team leader. He then joined the property management company Carnation Properties Ltd., where he worked as a system administrator until 2018.
Melchior Koba
He automates SMBs’ customer interactions using AI-enabled chatbots. His innovations in science and technology have earned him several awards.
Ghanaian Ronald Tagoe is the founder and CEO of Chatbots Africa, a Kenya-based startup that helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) automate customer interactions and sales channels using social chatbots.
His remarkable academic career started at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) where he graduated, in 2013, with a Bachelor’s in computer science. In 2021, he obtained a Master's in Management Information Systems from the University of Leicester.
Barely a year before that Master’s he had already founded Chatbots Africa to enable African SMEs to boost their revenues and improve customer engagements using artificial intelligence and chatbots. Through that company, he provides SMEs with AI-enabled conversational bots, which interact with clients on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.
"Our solution enables clients to hold real-time conversations with customers, build brand credibility, and boost engagement in a way that drives sales and enhances business efficiency," Ronald Tagoe told news outlet TechCabal in 2021.
Nowadays, Chatbots Africa’s products are used in more than five countries with over one million active users monthly. On October 5, 2023, it was selected as one of 11 African startups to join the Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First program.
Before launching Chatbots Africa, Ronald had co-founded (in 2012) mNotify, a telecom company that offers voice and SMS services to organizations. Between 2013 and 2014, he worked, as hub manager, for technology innovation center Tech Hub. He also served as GTBank's Head of Enterprise Solutions between 2014 and 2017.
Ronald Tagoe has been recognized for his dedication and commitment to science and technology. Notably, he won the Transformed Africa Youth Innovation Award in 2014. He was an Afric'Up 2019 finalist, won the Tech Cabal Future of Commerce Partnership Pitch in 2021, and was named Technology Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 by the Ghana Startup Network. He was named the best science and technology personality of the year at the inaugural Forty Under 40 Africa Awards in 2022.
Melchior Koba
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The center offers cutting-edge entrepreneurship and digital skills training programs to develop a talent pool capable of taking advantage of the global digital economy.
Adei Technology Hub is a development and innovation center located in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. It was founded in 2017 by Odomitchi Anikpo, its executive director and a former Google and Salesforce employee.
The innovation center offers technical and entrepreneurial training, as well as startup coaching programs. It has a coworking space, an events room, and private offices with access to international expertise and cutting-edge technologies.
Its stated mission is to train, support, and connect key players in the regional and international tech ecosystem, therefore promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa and showcasing local talent, ideas, and solutions.
To entrepreneurs, Adei Technology Hub offers Adei Elevate - Launch Boost Grow, a program that reinforces the fundamentals of entrepreneurship through e-learning, peer-to-peer interaction, and mentoring. Supported by FINCA Ventures, Creative Valley, Seedstars, and Impact Hub, the program offers a series of workshops tailored to each entrepreneur’s stage of development.
The hub also has the Adei Elevate & Fellowship program to support revenue-generating startups aiming for investment within two years. To professionals, Adei Technology Hub offers the Tech Talent Accelerator Program, a six-month theoretical and practical training program that equips them with the skills they need to excel in the technology sector.
Adei Technology Hub also organizes events such as Meet & Greet, which brings together students from its programs, members of the Adei Fondation Côte d'Ivoire, and other guests. All these offers contribute to the development of the technology sector in Africa.
Melchior Koba
He combines creativity and technology to improve the quality of life of amputees. Thanks to his prostheses, he has been quoted by magazines on numerous occasions and has received awards from international institutions.
Tunisian engineer Mohamed Dhaouafi (photo) is the CEO of Cure Bionics, a company developing affordable bionic prostheses. He earned a bachelor's degree in electronic and electrical engineering from the national engineering school in Sousse in 2017. In 2020, he got a master’s in non-profit management from the Tunis Business School.
While studying engineering, he discovered that one of his teammates had a cousin with no upper limbs and couldn't afford a prosthesis. This inspired him to create Cure Bionics in 2018. Designed with biodegradable materials, Cure Bionics' 3D-printed bionic arms are adjustable and feature a solar-powered battery.
A member of Tunisian Talents United, a group committed to transforming bright young Tunisians into great leaders, since July 2022 he has also been CEO of Ecobees, an agritech startup developing IoT (Internet of Things) solutions with a beehive laboratory in Tunisia.
He is also the co-founder of Agaruw, an eco-friendly fashion brand, as well as an online marketplace for ecological and sustainable fashion alternatives. In 2017, he also co-founded the incubator Zeta Hub, of which he was co-director until 2018.
Mohamed Dhaouafi has received several awards for his innovative work. He was part of the Obama Foundation's Africa Leader 2019 program. He was also named one of the top young innovators under 35 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's prestigious Technology Review. He is also one of Forbes' Middle East 30 Under 30 winners for 2020 and Time magazine's Next Generation Leaders.
Melchior Koba
Tatweer Research is a key player in the Libyan technology landscape. Through its innovative programs and commitment, the organization aims to increase the impact of technology on economic development in Libya.
Tatweer Research is a national economic development agency that aims to transform the Libyan economy into one based on knowledge, innovation, and the export of cutting-edge technologies. It was founded in 2010 by Khaled Elmufti, a computer scientist with degrees from Imperial College London and City.
The agency operates through three main activities: research, development, and professional excellence. It works on solving global problems in the fields of environment, climate, energy, business transactions, medical technology, and education.
Through its Tatweer Entrepreneurship Campus (TEC), Tatweer Research has set up innovation initiatives and skills development programs like the Graduate Program to educate, train, and empower Libyan youth and leaders. It has also created a 1,200-hectare free economic zone and Tech City in Libya.
The agency encourages Libya's brightest young people, incubating the ideas of ambitious local entrepreneurs while attracting international talent and investment. Through its Coding for Children (C4C) program, it introduces primary school children to coding, strengthening their capacity for innovation and creative thinking.
In partnership with the European Union and UNDP, Tatweer Research aims to promote entrepreneurship and encourage job creation outside the public sector. The organization is contributing to the transformation of the Libyan economy from one based on natural resources to one focused on innovation and entrepreneurship.
Melchior Koba
Born and raised in South Africa, he gained experience working for large organizations in his home country. The success of his company Whoosh Innovations is a testament to his entrepreneurial achievement.
Lebeko Mphelo (photo) is the founder and CEO of Whoosh Innovations, a South African company specializing in digital payment solutions. He graduated from the University of Pretoria in 2009 with a Bachelor's degree in Econometrics.
He founded Whoosh Innovations in 2014 with the ambition of a web and mobile platform offering customized solutions to merchants and enabling them to process transactions both online and offline. The company enables merchants to collect payments by credit card, e-wallet, and bank transfers. It also provides consulting and project management services to ensure the optimal deployment of payment gateways.
In 2020, Whoosh Innovations was chosen as the official payment system provider for the presidential gala dinner of the ANC, South Africa's ruling party. This was an opportunity for Lebeko Mphelo and his team to demonstrate their ability to manage large transactions and deliver quality service to prestigious customers.
Lebeko Mphelo, the brain behind that innovation, gained professional experience working for large institutions. In 2009, he worked as a junior consultant for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The following year, he joined financial services company Alexforbes as a trainee risk analyst, before successively holding the positions of assistant research analyst and member of the company's inaugural Junior Board. At the same time, between 2011 and 2019, he was the Director of Etico Capital, an investment company focused primarily on the agriculture, resources, and financial services sectors.
A former beneficiary of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program, Lebeko Mphelo is an example of entrepreneurial success and contribution to the economic and social development of his country.
Melchior Koba