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In May 2022, global venture capital (VC) funding fell under $40 billion for the first time in the span of a year. The US and Asia have experienced a 1% decline in VC funding in the first quarter of this year, yet Africa remains unaffected. Quartz reports that Kenya, in particular, gained more VC funding in the first quarter with 482 million USD (R7.7 billion) than it did for the whole year of 2021 (R6.6 billion). The reason behind this is that startups in Kenya cater to primary needs, which is why investors are motivated to support them. Some of these startups work on solving the country’s education, healthcare, finance, and agriculture concerns.
So, let’s take a look at some of these tech innovations that are improving Kenya as a whole.
Teacher computers for better education
Teachers have a multitude of responsibilities, from making lesson plans to actually teaching in schools. This can become very stressful and prevent them from teaching students in an effective manner. Bridge Kenya are trying to solve this fundamental problem by offering unique educational solutions. The company have been providing solutions since 2009 and they have had a massive impact on community schools all over the country. They offer teacher computers to their educators – tablets that are used to access teaching guides. They contain teaching guides that provide teachers with the necessary skills and materials so they can teach their students in the most effective way possible. As a result, the children have been receiving a much higher quality education.
Medical apps for accessible healthcare
In Kenya, hospitals are often associated with long queues and poor facilities. Therefore, when patients visit hospitals to seek care, receiving adequate medical attention is not always guaranteed. TIBU Health addresses this problem through their mobile app. They are a health technology company that began work in 2020, aiming to bring healthcare wherever it’s needed. They provide Kenyans with a range of medical services, such as consultations, vaccinations, and lab tests. Patients request medical assistance through their app and within 30 minutes, a healthcare professional arrives at their home. Using this tech, citizens don’t need to worry about receiving care in overcrowded and under-equipped hospitals.
Virtual cards for digital payments
The shift to digital and cashless payments calls for innovations in order for more people to gain access to it. As such, Safaricom recently launched virtual cards through M-Pesa, their mobile phone-based money transfer service. Their virtual cards enable millions of people to make digital payments globally, allowing merchants and customers alike to participate in global trade. M-Pesa users, which amount to 30 million in Kenya alone, only need the M-Pesa app to activate their virtual card and make digital payments. They can send, withdraw, receive, and save money, as well as pay their bills through the app. With this technology, Kenyans are able to catch up to the world’s rapidly changing financial industry.
3D-printed equipment for farming
Smallholder agriculture constitutes a big part of agricultural production in Kenya. They are the key to ending hunger and poverty and yet, they themselves live on around R16 a day. In order to help them, One Acre Fund provides them with 3D-printed tools. They are a social enterprise whose goal is to provide smallholder farmers with training services and equipment. Among these tools are low-cost planting scoops that farmers can use to safely distribute fertiliser to their fields. These scoops are specifically designed to carry fertiliser in measured doses to ensure the right amount is given to crops. This way, farmers are assured that all their crops are good for harvest and the market, allowing them to profit from all their hard work.
Tech innovations in Kenya continue to address a number of pressing concerns. But as long as startups and companies have the appropriate funding, there is no doubt that they will continue to help to the nation in the future, and Kenya as a whole will continue to grow from strength-to-strength.
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