KeNIA Launches One-Stop Shop For Innovators

The Kenya National Innovation Agency (KENIA) has announced the official launch of the Kenya Innovation Bridge, a comprehensive platform aimed at providing a one-stop-shop for innovators, investors, enterprise support organizations, and customers.

According to KENIA, the platform aims to increase the visibility of innovative concepts and foster connections between existing and emerging ideas in Kenya. Through a virtual marketplace, the Kenya Innovation Bridge seeks to facilitate linkages to investment opportunities, partnerships, and capacity-building initiatives that can help turn innovative concepts into commercially viable products and businesses.

Currently operational in the Rift, Western, Lake, and Coastal regions of Kenya, KeNIA says the platform has already onboarded a range of stakeholders and boasts over 2000 innovators, investors, and enterprise support organizations across the country. Since its launch, the agency adds that the platform has facilitated more than 400 connections and is actively pursuing 120 partnerships.

“The aspiration of the Kenya Innovation Bridge is to have a platform where all elements of the Innovation ecosystem are on-board. We envision it as a literal innovation marketplace; whether an innovator is looking for mentorship, partnership, funding or capacity-building opportunities they can find it all there…,” said Dr Tonny Omwansa, CEO, KeNIA.

By providing a platform for innovators and investors to connect, the Kenya Innovation Bridge aims to contribute to job creation and overall economic growth in the country. KeNIA hopes the platform will help to create a thriving ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship in Kenya.