List of Top Kenyan Startups. Not only does Kenya have an abundance of stunning wildlife, but its economy is also beginning to grow. Nairobi, the country’s capital, is a hotbed for business success, and several extremely notable fundraising rounds that are assisting leading businesses are now underway. We’ll examine a few of the Kenyan businesses making waves in the East African economy. Here are Forty-one startups to keep an eye on in 2024-2025
Here is a List of Top Kenyan Startups
Oret Family Trees
Based in Kenya, Oret is a family tree startup. They give families a platform to create and manage family trees and discover more about their past.
Year Founded: 2024
HQ: Nairobi, Kenya
Founders: Oscar
MarketForce
Kenyan company MarketForce was established in 2018 and is presently headquartered in Nairobi, the country’s capital. The firm offers consumers all over the African continent a digital platform for the retail distribution of different commodities and financial services. This makes it possible to pay for products online rather than with cash.
The firm has raised startup capital eight times since it was established; the most recent round was in February 2024. MarketForce has been able to finalize agreements with 22 investors thanks to these fundraising rounds. Together, these investors have contributed $42.7 million to MarketForce.
Year Founded: 2018
HQ: Nairobi, Kenya
Founders: Beniamino Bruno, Mesongo Sibuti, and Tesh Mbaabu
Adrian Kenya
Adrian Kenya is the last Kenyan startup to keep an eye on in 2024. This information and communications technology (ICT) corporation serves the energy, telecommunications, and infrastructure industries by offering technology and infrastructure solutions that support corporate expansion. Adrian Kenya provides a range of solutions, including network infrastructure and data centers, and strives to determine the best option for each firm.
Adrian Kenya was formed by Bernard W. Njoroge in 2013. The firm employs between two hundred and fifty-one and five hundred people; the start-up has four hundred regular employees and over six hundred individuals on a contract. Currently, there is no information accessible on financing rounds; nevertheless, the organization’s headquarters are located in Kikuyu, Central Kenya.
Year Founded: 2013
HQ: Kikuyu, Central Kenya
Founders: Bernard W. Njoroge
TopUp Mama
Kenyan firm TopUp Mama was established in 2021 and is presently headquartered in Nairobi, the nation’s capital. The startup enables restaurants around the nation to order vegetables and ingredients for their menu items digitally. For these businesses, the supply chain is more efficient because these orders can be placed easily via SMS message.
The firm has raised two rounds of startup capital since its founding, with the assistance of six investors in all. Through these investments, the company has raised $460,000.
Year Founded: 2021
HQ: Nairobi, Kenya
Founders: Emilie Blauwhoff, Njavwa Mutambo
Opibus
A cleantech startup based in Kenya is called Opibus. It works in a number of sectors, such as electronics, manufacturing, sustainability, renewable energy, and the automotive and electrical vehicle industries. The goal of Opibus, which was once known as Roam, is to provide accessibility to electric vehicles and more environmentally friendly modes of transportation. By concentrating on some of the most polluting cars, the start-up has been able to make the greatest progress toward a cleaner future. The business is working to reduce the cost of the technology used in electric automobiles.
The company was started in 2017, and its creator is Filip Gardler. The company is building a name for itself in the African electric mobility market with a head office located in Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya, with 51–100 employees. In November 2021, there were two investment rounds that brought in a total of $7.5 million from three investors.
Year Founded: 2017
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Filip Gardler
Poa Internet
Nairobi, Kenya, is home to the startup Poa Internet, which was established there in 2015. By offering inexpensive internet connectivity to people and small businesses in Kenya’s rural and low-income neighborhoods, the company hopes to contribute to the country’s improved infrastructural development.
The firm has raised startup capital three times since it was established, with two investors supporting each of these rounds. Thanks to these investors, the firm was able to raise $38 million.
Year Founded: 2015
HQ: Nairobi, Kenya
Cytonn Investments
Watching Cytonn Investments, a Kenyan start-up, is also recommended in 2024. It works in the real estate, investment, and industrial sectors. For international institutional investors and other investors, the firm provides an alternative to the standard investing alternatives. Cytonn Investments is totally focused on meeting the demands of its clients; in other words, it invests in its customers by assisting them in locating the ideal financial solution for asset management. The company says that by depending “on technology,” it can increase its own productivity.
Edwin Dande started the Kenyan startup in 2014. Currently, it employs more than 251 individuals, but fewer than 500. The Westlands neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya, is home to the headquarters. The company raised KES2.1B in a single investment round with one investor in June 2018.
Year Founded: 2014
HQ: Westlands, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Edwin Dande
Big Square
Kenyan startup Big Square was established in 2013 and is presently headquartered in Nairobi, the country’s capital. The firm operates a network of fast food restaurants throughout the African nation, where it serves meals made using regional products and ingredients. It does this because it is dedicated to supporting the local economy while still giving its patrons excellent cuisine and welcoming service.
Since its founding, the company has undergone one round of startup funding, at which time it received backing from a single investor. Big Square has raised 404 million KES thanks to the efforts of these investors.
Year Founded: 2013
HQ: Nairobi, Kenya
Founders: Morne Deetlefs
Copia Global
Kenyan firm Copia Global was established in 2012 and is presently headquartered in Nairobi, the country’s capital. The firm offers order fulfillment in addition to a consumer catalogue service. Customers in the underdeveloped world may now easily and conveniently get things that they might otherwise find difficult to source.
The firm has raised startup capital seven times since it was created, with the most recent round being in January 2024. The firm has been able to finalize agreements with 13 investors, totaling $103 million, thanks to these investment rounds.
Year Founded: 2012
HQ: Nairobi, Kenya
Founders: Jonathan Lewis, Tracey Turner
Wowzi
Kenyan company Wowzi was established in 2019 and is presently headquartered in Kileleshwa. The company wants to aid other businesses by giving them the opportunity to automate their influencer marketing operations through messaging and by bringing in consumer data for analysis, which enhances these organizations’ capacity for making decisions.
The firm has raised startup capital twice since it was established, with the most recent round occurring in December 2021. Nine investors have supported the firm during these investment rounds. Through these investors, the company has been able to raise $3.2 million.
Year Founded: 2019
HQ: Kileleshwa, Kenya
Founders: Hassan Bashir, Mike Otieno
AfricaSokoni
Kenyan company AfricaSokoni was established in 2017 and is presently headquartered in Nairobi. The business assists other African companies in digitizing their supply chain processes, giving them access to a larger potential market and generating revenue.
The firm has raised startup capital four times since it was created, with the most recent round being in 2020. The company has raised $995,000 thanks to the assistance of a single investor in these investment rounds. Additionally, the company has completed a single acquisition.
Year Founded: 2017
HQ: Nairobi, Kenya
Founder: Ebrima Fatty
Apollo Agriculture
The newest startup in Kenya is called Apollo Agriculture, and it’s another firm in the agricultural industry. The startup says it wants to make commercial farming accessible to anyone. Apollo Agriculture provides financial services to small farmers, facilitating their access to markets, funding, and increased profitability. Remote sensing is used by machine learning technologies to monitor crops and increase productivity.
Apollo Agriculture was established in 2016 by Eli Pollak, Earl St. Sauver, and Benjamin Njenga. Its main office is located in Nairobi, Kenya’s Nairobi Area. Two hundred fifty-one to five hundred people work for the firm. Nineteen investors have participated in eight investment rounds, raising a total of $52.2 million in funding.
Year Founded: 2016
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Benjamin Njenga, Earl St Sauver, Eli Pollak
ImaliPay
Fintech company ImaliPay is first on our list of Kenyan start-ups to watch in 2024. It is a financial platform that blue-collar gig workers and independent contractors may utilize to access goods and services. The company provides resources, including credit score building, payback while earning, and saving as you earn. Developers can incorporate certain application programming interfaces into their applications.
ImaliPay was established in 2020 by Oluwasanmi Akinmusire and Tatenda Furusa, and it is currently headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya’s Nairobi Area. With only ten employees, it has twenty investors. Seven investment rounds were completed by the start-up between June 1, 2020, and April 7, 2022. ImaliPay has been able to raise a total of $3.9 million through this.
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Oluwasanmi Akinmusire, Tatenda Furusa
Churpy
Another Kenyan business to keep an eye on in 2024 is Churpy. This business is involved in payments, financial services, and technology. With the aid of Churpy’s integrated receivables management technology, businesses may streamline the process of collecting money from sales. Additionally, the business provides a marketplace for invoice payments to its clientele.
Kennedy Mukuna, who employs eleven to fifty people, started Churpy in 2020. The company has completed one investment round thus far, and its headquarters are in Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya. Three investors contributed to that round, which increased the start-up’s total capital to $1 million.
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Kennedy Mukuna
Chemsasa Solutions Ltd
Chemsasa Solutions Ltd. is another Kenyan company in the agriculture sector. Known more simply as Chemsasa Solutions, it specializes in the animal feed sector. It is an online retailer that gives customers a marketplace to purchase and sell farm equipment.
Chemsasa Solutions was started in 2020 by John Katua, and it now employs one to ten people. Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya, is home to the corporate office. As of right now, the firm has not disclosed any details on any investment rounds.
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: John Katua
Farmula
Our next startup on the list is called Farmula. Agtech and web development are used in the agriculture sector to streamline the selling process for farmers. Through this B2B (business-to-business) portal, a farmer may place an order directly with another farmer. Additionally, the website assists farmers in obtaining the best price for their own goods.
Founded in 2019, Farmula connects farmers around Kenya with chat boxes and USSD dialing numbers. Jacky Kimani, Vivian Opondoh, Ahmed Madani, and Ibrahim Abdulmalik started it. The firm employs one to 10 persons, with its headquarters situated in Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya. With just one round of investment, the firm has raised a total of $100,000.
Year Founded: 2019
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Ahmed Madani, Ibrahim Abdulmalik, Jacky Kimani, Vivian Opondoh
Afriagrimark
Another Kenyan agricultural technology startup to keep an eye on this year is Afriagrimark. It makes the agricultural market more interconnected through the use of logistics. The geolocation technology connects suppliers, farmers, drivers, and vegetable dealers. It facilitates quick order processing, which expedites work, and simple access to the market with reasonable costs for fresh food.
The Kenyan firm was created in 2020 by Bonface Nyalwal. The firm now employs one to 10 individuals, and its headquarters are located in Nairobi, Kenya’s Nairobi Area. So far, one investment round—which took place in April 2022—has raised a total of $10,000.
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Bonface Nyalwal
Synnefa
This startup is new to the market, having only been established last year. It is an agtech startup that operates in the machine learning, internet of things, greentech, SaaS, and agriculture domains. Synnefa is the name of the startup. Users may simplify farming with the use of Synnefa’s farm record dashboard. The online dashboard program, which analyzes the farms’ data to cut down on expenses and guesswork, benefits from artificial intelligence.
After completing three financing rounds and another in December 2021, Taita Ngetich created Synnefa in August 2021, with a total investment sum of $1.5 million. Its head office is in Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya, and it employs between eleven and fifty people.
Year Founded: 2021
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Taita Ngetich
Angaza Elimu
Another Kenyan edtech startup is the next one on the list. It goes by the name Angaza Elimu and uses AI to assist in delivering its lessons. Angaza Elimu is teaching students what they need to study, with over 35,000 students using the e-learning platform every day.
Angaza Elimu was established by Kiko Muuo in 2017, and it now employs eleven to fifty people. The corporate office is situated in Nairobi, Kenya’s Nairobi Area. The business has raised a total of $100K in investment from two investors over the course of two funding rounds.
Year Founded: 2017
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Kiko Muuo
M-Shule
M-Shule, an edtech business, is also one of the top Kenyan companies to watch in the next year. This is an educational platform meant for kids of all ages to utilize. The learning process is mobile, as the instruction is tailored to each student and sent via SMS. It differs greatly from many other digital and remote learning platforms in that it was developed using artificial intelligence to reach low-income students who could be offline.
M-Shule was formed in 2016 by Claire Mongeau, and it is currently headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya’s Nairobi Area. Three investors and one to 10 employees make up the firm. The Kenyan startup has earned a total of $165K in investment over the course of four funding rounds.
Year Founded: 2016
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founder: Claire Mongeau
Mydawa
Mydawa is a startup that operates in the e-commerce, applications, and wellness sectors. Mydawa provides its clients with an inexpensive online pharmacy filled with health and beauty supplies. It is Kenya’s first officially recognized internet pharmacy. Mydawa offers online ordering for repeat medicines, which may save both time and money. You may complete the entire process from your phone, and your medication will be delivered in four hours, making it quite handy.
Mydawa was started in 2017 by Neil O’Leary, and it now employs eleven to fifty people, with its headquarters located in Nairobi, Kenya’s Nairobi Area. Between March 2017 and November 2021, three financing rounds totaling $9.2 million were held with three investors.
Year Founded: 2017
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Neil O’Leary
OkHi
One of the Kenyan businesses calling itself “the world’s next generation addressing system” is called OkHi. It provides services to a wide range of businesses, including last-mile deliveries, e-commerce, mobile loans, emergency services, and banking. It might be expensive to deliver anything or pay a visit if you don’t know the right location. It costs money, time, and gasoline to drive around looking for the precise location. OkHi is here to assist with that problem. The software development kit makes it simpler to discover the proper place with its GPS position and confirmed addresses. It can also enhance the e-commerce site’s checkout process and quickness.
Founded by Timbo Drayson in 2014, OkHi now has over eleven people, but not quite fifty. The start-up has completed six investment rounds and is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya’s Nairobi Area. The start-up has collected $4 million in investment so far from fifteen investors.
Year Founded: 2014
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Timbo Drayson
Kotani Pay
Nairobi is now home to the Kenyan firm Kotani Pay, which was established in 2020. The firm operates in the blockchain space and enables customers to link their wallet, DApp, or blockchain to Africa’s conventional financial environment. This enhances the continent’s financial independence.
Since its founding, the firm has been successful in obtaining startup capital, having raised $1.4 million in total. Eleven investors helped make this money possible.
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Brian Kimotho, Daniel Kimotho, Felix Macharia, Samuel Kariuki, and Stephen Kiarie
Kapu
The Kenyan company Kapu was established in 2022 and is presently headquartered in Nairobi. By offering their online kiosk, where products may be bought at reduced costs and saved for other needs, the firm hopes to lessen the cost of living in Africa.
The company has secured $8 million in startup capital thus far, demonstrating remarkable accomplishment in this regard. Twenty investors helped to make this money possible.
Year Founded: 2022
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Sam Chappatte
Lapaire
Nairobi is presently home to Lapaire, a Kenyan firm that was established in 2018. The firm operates in the healthcare sector and presently offers reasonably priced eyeglasses to consumers in seven different nations on the continent. In Africa, glasses used to be costly and could keep many individuals out of business.
Since its founding, the firm has undergone many investment rounds, receiving a total of $1.2 million. It was made possible by the contributions of two investors.
Year Founded: 2018
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Jérôme Lapaire
Amitruck
Kenyan startup Amitruck was established in 2019 and is presently headquartered in Nairobi. The organization is in the logistics business and works to enhance the nation’s market conditions by offering a digital marketplace for logistics, which will boost productivity for all parties involved.
Since its founding, the company has had good success obtaining startup capital; eleven investors have contributed a total of $5.2 million to the fund. The firm has been able to move closer to its objectives thanks to this financing.
Year Founded: 2019
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Mark Mwangi, Timothy Mwangi
RFH Healthcare
Kenyan firm RFH Healthcare was established in 2020 and is presently headquartered in Nairobi. The company’s ultimate objective is to establish Kenyan healthcare as a leader on the continent by providing a range of reasonably priced, excellent medical services to the people of the nation.
Since its founding, the firm has only undergone one round of startup investment, in which it received an undisclosed sum of money. It’s unknown if the business has further financial intentions.
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Maxwel Okoth
Koa
The Kenyan company Koa was established in 2020 and is presently headquartered in Nairobi. The firm is in the FinTech sector and makes use of APIs to assist other companies in providing savings services to their clientele. They intend to bring Africa’s financial system up to date.
Since its founding, the company has had good success obtaining startup capital; in all, $2.7 million has been raised from four investors. It’s unknown if the company has any other fundraising intentions in the near future.
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Alexis Roman, Delila Kidanu
Badili
Nairobi, Kenya, is home to the startup Badili, which was established there in 2022. The firm provides services that enable customers to purchase smartphones at rates below average. Customers who cannot afford to buy a new phone but have a broken one can even get their old one mended.
The firm has been very effective in attracting startup investment while being relatively young. The business has raised $3.9 million from ten investors since its founding.
Year Founded: 2022
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Rishabh Lawania
Africa Data Centers
Nairobi is presently home to Africa Data Centres, a Kenyan firm that was established in 2018. The company operates in the technology sector and seeks to leverage cutting-edge technology and data management services to assist other African businesses in expanding and improving.
Since its founding, the company has raised a staggering amount of money for startup capital—a total of $83 million—all from a single investor. This is among the largest venture capital agreements ever made in Kenya.
Year Founded: 2018
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Unavailable
AI Wakforce
Kenyan firm AI Wakforce was established in 2020 and is presently headquartered in Nairobi. By offering dataset training services to help others create their own AI, the firm hopes to contribute to the advancement of AI both domestically and internationally.
Since its founding, the firm has only undergone one round of startup investment, with its pre-seed round yielding an unknown sum of money.
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Moses Njau
Fingo Africa
Nairobi is now home to the Kenyan business Fingo Africa, which was established in 2020. The firm works in the FinTech sector and specializes in bank account provision for young people in the nation. This would benefit Kenyans in the long run by helping them acquire important financial literacy skills at an early age.
Since its founding, the firm has had great success in obtaining startup capital, having raised a total of $4.1 million. Five investors helped make this money possible.
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Gitari Tirima, Ian Waiguru, James da Costa, and Kiiru Muhoya
Solar Panda
Nairobi is now home to the Kenyan firm Solar Panda, which was established in 2017. By installing solar panels and letting communities pay for them as they use the power, the firm hopes to enhance the quality of life in rural regions by granting access to electricity.
The company has raised $15 million in total across many fundraising rounds, demonstrating its remarkable effectiveness in securing startup capital. Five investors in all supported these rounds.
Year Founded: 2017
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Andy Keith
Watu Credit
Based in Mombasa, Kenya, Watu Credit is a startup company that was established in 2015. The firm, which is in the FinTech sector, works to assist more Africans in achieving financial independence by funding two- and three-wheel cars, which increases mobility in the nation.
Since its founding, the organization has raised a great deal of money for its operations; its most recent investment round brought in $7 million to support its development in Uganda.
Year Founded: 2015
HQ: Mombasa, Coast, Kenya
Founders: Andris Kaneps
Shara
Kenyan startup Shara was established in 2020 and is presently headquartered in Nairobi. Within the FinTech industry, the company assists companies in funding orders placed by its clients. This aids in increasing sales for these companies, particularly for higher-priced products.
Since its founding, the firm has raised $6 million in startup capital, demonstrating its remarkable performance in this area. Thirteen investors helped make this money possible.
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Grant Brooke, Jordan Solomon
Ed Partners
ED Partners is a Westlands, Kenya-based firm that was established in 2018. By offering flexible and affordable school loans and collaborating with low-cost institutions to provide an atmosphere where Kenyans may always receive an education, the firm hopes to improve the quality of education in the nation.The company has raised $1.9 million in investment during its most recent funding round in June 2021, demonstrating its effectiveness in securing startup capital to support its objective. It’s unclear if the company has plans to raise further money.
Year Founded: 2018
HQ: Westlands, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: David Fitzherbert, Lydia Koros
Kwanza Tukule
Kenyan startup Kwana Tukule was established in 2019 and is now headquartered in Nairobi. The organization wants to use technology to make supply networks better by increasing their effectiveness and efficiency. This makes goods available to companies safer and fresher.The firm has been successful in obtaining startup capital; three investors sponsored the company’s fundraising round in January 2022. As of right now, the precise amount raised is unknown.
Year Founded: 2019
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Khadija Mohamed Churchill
Mara
Kenyan startup Mara was established in 2021 and is presently headquartered in Nairobi. The firm is involved in the blockchain industry and offers Africans the chance to utilize cryptocurrencies, trade them for returns, and increase their level of financial independence.
Mara has been quite successful in securing startup capital; in its most recent round, the business raised $23 million in total to support the expansion and development of the enterprise.
Year Founded: 2021
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Chi Nnadi, Dearg OBartuin, Lucas Llinás Múnera
Ilara Health
Nairobi is now home to the Kenyan business Ilara Health, which was established in 2019. By creating a network of clinics that offer a variety of healthcare services at a reasonable cost and increase accessibility to healthcare, the organization hopes to enhance the quality of primary care in Africa.
Since its founding, the firm has raised a lot of money for starting costs; in December 2022, it raised $3.75 million in total at its most recent investment round.
Year Founded: 2019
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Amaan Banwait, Emilian Popa, Hannes Eckmayr, Maximilan Mancini, Sameer Farooqi
Zuri Health
Nairobi is now home to the Kenyan business Zuri Health, which was established in 2020. The organization, which is in the healthcare industry, wants to enhance the quality of healthcare in the nation by offering telehealth solutions that make it simple and comfortable for people to get medical assistance.
The business has raised $1.5 million in total across many fundraising rounds, demonstrating its success in obtaining startup capital. Fourteen investors helped to make this fundraising possible.
Year Founded: 2020
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Daisy Isiaho, Ikechukwu Anoke, Titilola Olaolu-Hassan
BasiGo
Nairobi is presently home to BasiGo, a Kenyan firm that was established in 2021. The corporation is in the transportation business and wants to offer more affordable and hygienic public transit options across the nation. Thus far, the company’s electric bus experimental programs have shown remarkable results.
Since its founding, the firm has been extremely successful in securing startup capital; in its most recent round, it raised a total of $6.6 million to finance its aspirations for EV production.
Year Founded: 2021
HQ: Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Founders: Jit Bhattacharya, Jonathan Green
