Top 7 Startups in Kenya

Kenya is one of the leading countries in tech innovation in Africa. It is for this reason, its tech ecosystem is famously known as Silicon Savannah. Apart from private investors, the Kenyan government, as a way to alleviate poverty and unemployment particularly among the youth, is funding new startups through the Youth Enterprise Development Fund.

The following are some of the best startups in Kenya.

Cellulant

kenya tech startups

Cellulant, founded in 2004, is among the best fintech startups in Kenya. It is a Pan-African digital payment service that brings together financial service providers and commerce, the platform has helped people from different sectors to access financial services. Since its launch, it has been able to raise over $55 million.

CarePay

CarePay, launched in 2015, has its headquarters located in Nairobi. It is a health startup in Kenya that partners with other enterprises to offer quality health services. It joins other health startups in Kenya providing innovative insurtech solutions.

CarePay has developed a health benefit wallet that operates on a mobile phone. Participants can save, receive and spend money, but the funds can only be used to pay for healthcare. The system links directly with participants, healthcare providers and healthcare payers, like insurers and donors, so both treatment and payment are fast, efficient and transparent.

M-Kopa

M-Kopa, launched in 2012, is a startup that has attracted many investors to provide clean solar energy. The motive of the startup is to provide low-income individuals with clean energy. Some of its investors include CDC Group and LGT Venture Philanthropy, with total funding of $38 million. The system comes with a solar panel, LED light bulbs, rechargeable torch and radio. It also has a USB port for charging phones. This is a great way to step up access to energy in areas where there is no electricity power connection.

Copia Global

Copia Global is a mobile commerce service that is accessible by regular Africans, regardless of what they live. The platform offers an excellent shopping experience by bringing goods and services right at your doorstep. It has its headquarters in Nairobi, and it has raised over $6 million from its investors.

Africa’s Talking

startups funding kenya

Africa’s Talking is a startup that is co-founded by Sam Gikandi and Eston Kimani in 2010. It has its headquarters in Nairobi. The startup has raised over $8.6 million from its investors. Among its investors are IFC, Orange Digital Ventures, Better Ventures and Social Capital. The platform offers APIs for payments, airtime, and communication through voice, USSD, and SMS.

Read: VC4A Connects African Startups With Capital For Free

Twiga Foods

Twiga Foods, launched in 2014, is a platform that bridges that gap between farmers and food security. This is a mobile-based service that allows the delivery of farm produce by linking farmers to potential buyers. The venture has raised over $44.6 million. Some of its key investors include Google Launchpad Accelerator and TLCom Capital. Working together, with over 17,000 farmers, the venture is looking for ways to expand its operations outside Kenya.

Branch

Branch is one of the leading Kenya tech startups that allow users to borrow money using their Facebook pages. This service is accessible through the Safaricom M-Pesa payment service. The venture has raised over $4.9 million from its investors, among them Centum Investments. Branch operates in Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and California. Branch is an ideal alternative to Tala mobile loans in Kenya.

Final Thoughts on Best Startups in Kenya

The bottom line is that Kenya is a startup space that is favoring the growth of businesses. Luckily, if you have an excellent business idea, and you do not have funds to get started, you can easily get funding in Kenya. Also, with the government’s intervention through the provision of funds, it is easy to launch a startup in Kenya.

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Vincent is a writer and researcher with an interest in finance, banking, startups, and remittance. He holds a Bachelors degree in Applied Statistics with computing. He founded Nexin Startups, an online platform offering startup advice to investors and entrepreneurs. Read more about us and our authors.