Six African Tech Startups Make it to WEF Top 100

Six African tech startups have been named among the 100 most disruptive Technology Pioneers of 2022 by the World Economic Forum (WEF). These are companies that are disrupting industries ranging from healthcare to retail and beyond.

The WEF tech pioneers are early to growth-stage businesses from around the world that are transforming business and society via new technologies and innovation. This year’s cohort includes six African startups.

Here we look at the African companies that made the list, three of which are from Kenya. They are:

Sendy (Kenya)

Make African trading easier and more advantageous to a wider range of individuals. By making it easier to trade, the startup empowers consumers and businesses.

Sendy combines everything E-commerce and consumer companies need to transport items to consumers and retailers across Africa together in one place.

Ampersand (Rwanda)

Ampersand manufactures low-cost electric vehicles and charging stations for East Africa’s five million motorbike taxi drivers. The company is working to make motorbike transportation cleaner and more profitable than it has ever been.

Going electric will immediately double a driver’s salary and accelerate Africa’s transition to a zero-carbon future, which is what the startup is all about.

Pula. (Kenya)

Pula is an agricultural insurance and technology firm that creates and distributes cutting-edge agricultural insurance and digital products to help smallholder farmers manage crop risks, enhance their farming techniques, and increase their revenue over time.

Okra, (Nigeria)

Through the power of Open Finance, Okra enables innovative entrepreneurs to provide better and fairer financial services for everyone. By utilizing the potential of Open Banking, the startup delivers the infrastructure layer that will enable the next wave of financial innovation.

Okra uses a secure open API to connect to thousands of banks, reducing the complexity and enabling easy access to financial data and payment infrastructure.

Access Afya  (Kenya)

Access Afya is a standard clinic in a box that provides chronic care, family planning, lab testing, child vaccines and nutrition, pre and post-natal care, general outpatient consultations, first aid, and other services.

Its asset-light clinics are conveniently located and open seven days a week. Insurance, health microloans, savings, and memberships are among the health finance solutions offered by Access Afya.

Ejara. (Cameroon)

Ejara is a platform built for and by you, giving you access to the digital finance ecosystem’s riches and allowing you to participate in the global economy. Ejara allows you to deposit, safeguard, and manage your funds.

By being a part of the community, Technology Pioneers go on a two-year journey in which they participate in the World Economic Forum’s projects, activities, and events, contributing their cutting-edge knowledge and innovative thinking to key global issues, according to the WEF.

Seven African firms made the list last year. Kuda (Nigeria), 54gene (Nigeria), Moringa School (Kenya), Sokowatch (Kenya),mPharma (Ghana), FlexFinTx (Zimbabwe), and Cambridge Industries (Ethiopia) were the companies involved .