Safaricom, in partnership with Sumitomo Corporation and M-PESA Africa, has successfully held its first-ever Spark Accelerator Demo Day, showcasing nine high-potential Kenyan startups and officially launching applications for the second cohort.
Hosted at the Michael Joseph Centre, the Demo Day celebrated the achievements of startups from the first cohort, while giving them the opportunity to present their innovations to leading venture capital investors and potential partners.
The Spark Accelerator program was launched in 2024 as part of the transformation of Safaricom’s Spark Venture Fund. The initiative aims to accelerate early-stage startups through capacity building, technology support, market access, and funding opportunities.
Highlights from the First Cohort
The nine startups showcased during Demo Day included:
- Health X Africa
- Vunapay
- BlackRhino VR
- Twiva
- Chpter
- Churpy
- Nobuk Africa
- Faidi HR
- Chumz
Their progress over the program was notable:
- Chumz integrated Daraja APIs for payments and acquired 72,000+ new users.
- Twiva launched a mini-app within M-PESA and expanded its influencer network from 15,000 to 26,000.
- BlackRhino VR earned the “Best Emerging Technology in Marketing Campaign” award after running a Safaricom Hook campaign across 11 universities.
- Faidi HR and Churpy are now joining Safaricom’s Enterprise Business Hub as SaaS partners serving over 2 million SMEs.
- Health X Africa is preparing to launch Afya Daily, a health content platform focused on non-communicable diseases and mental health.
Each startup also received up to $25,000 in AWS credits to strengthen their digital infrastructure.
Second Cohort Applications Now Open
Building on this momentum, Safaricom has opened applications for the 2025 Spark Accelerator cohort, targeting early-stage startups in:
- Technology
- Fintech
- Creative economy
- SME productivity tools
Applications will be accepted from April 1 to May 15, 2025.
Selected startups will gain access to:
- Tailored capacity building and expert-led training
- Custom product development and tech support
- Safaricom’s vast market and partner network
- Investor connections and potential funding opportunities
Safaricom’s Commitment to Innovation
Safaricom’s Chief Business Development and Strategy Officer, Michael Mutiga, emphasized Kenya’s rising prominence as a tech hub, noting that the country attracted $638 million in venture capital in 2024, nearly 29% of Africa’s total.
CEO Dr. Peter Ndegwa reiterated the company’s mission:
“We view technology as a driver of positive change. Through the Spark Accelerator, we are investing in the next generation of innovators while contributing to societal transformation and economic progress.”
The Spark Accelerator Demo Day not only marked the successful culmination of the first phase but also reaffirmed Safaricom’s ongoing support for Kenyan entrepreneurship.
With applications now open, the stage is set for a new group of startups to scale their solutions and shape Kenya’s digital future.
