In case you are looking for rising startups from Nairobi, Kenya, here are the top startups that you should keep an eye on in 2020. Some of these startups are poised for notable growth in the coming year.
Kenya’s capital city Nairobi already sees a lot of economic activities and is home to a growing number of headquarters. Its status as the capital city has also helped in ensuring that it is always a step ahead than other countries in the region in regards to the digital infrastructure available. In terms of the scale of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country, Nairobi commands a sizeable amount of the capital, businesses, and talent that flows into the country.
Entrepreneurs in the city can enjoy direct flights to other business hubs in Africa and Europe, making Nairobi a well-connected startup hub. The city is also home to some of the prestigious universities of the country making it resourceful place to get the talent for setting up a startup. In a research conducted by HexGn, it was found out that the various startups raised about $23 million in Nairobi in 2019(data collected up to 1st November). Some of these startups are poised for notable growth in the coming year. Here is a list of such startups that we have compiled for Nairobi for 2020.
Twiga Foods is among the top startups in Nairobi for 2020
Food and beverage startup Twiga Foods is an agritech marketplace. Its platform connects farmers and vendors to promote partnerships among them. The digitized process makes the partnership more transparent, quick, and fair. Twiga Foods also takes care of delivering the procured goods from the farmers to the vendors.
Founded Year: 2013
Total Funding: $67 M
Website: www.twiga.ke
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/twiga-foods
MYDAWA is among the top startups in Nairobi for 2020
MYDAWA is a fast-growing online pharmacy startup. The website features a range of prescription drugs, OTC drugs, and other health & wellness products. The purpose of the startup is to bridge the gap between patients and quality health care services. It does not levy any service or delivery charges, a feature which makes it one of the top startups in Nairobi for 2020.
Founded Year: 2017
Total Funding: $8 M
Website: www.mydawa.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ion-kenya
Sokowatch is among the top startups in Nairobi for 2020
Sokowatch is among the top startups in Nairobi that is helping formalize the retail market and its network. By integrating e-commerce technologies into the whole process, the startup is helping retailer bring digitization to their businesses. The data-driven approach ensures that retailers do not run out of stock of any goods and always stay abreast with the market trends.
Founded Year: 2013
Total Funding: $4.5 M
Website: www.sokowatch.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/reliefwatch
Copia Global is among the top startups in Nairobi for 2020
Copia Global is a unique Kenyan e-commerce platform that targets the underserved communities in the country. It provides them with the best of e-commerce experience for a range of affordable products to empower them as customers. This is one of the top startups in Nairobi for 2020 whose last funding round was in 2019.
Founded Year: 2012
Total Funding: $22 M
Website: www.copiaglobal.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/copia-kenya
Ilara Health is among the top startups in Nairobi for 2020
This startup is tackling the gap in the availability of healthcare services to all sections of the society, especially the less privileged who cannot afford it otherwise. Ilara Health, one of the top startups in Nairobi for 2020, has created an AI-driven diagnostic technology which is offered through an easy financing model to healthcare providers. These diagnostic systems provide results in just a few minutes, making the process of detection and treatment much shorter.
Founded Year: 2019
Total Funding: $735 K
Website: www.ilarahealth.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ilarahealth
Ethnic Brand is among the top startups in Nairobi for 2020
Ethnic Brand is a catalyst in the African fashion industry that is helping fashion brands of all scales strive. With the Ethnic Brand platform, brands can get access to on-demand manufacturing services according to the demand for their products. It is one of the top startups in Nairobi for 2020 which is expected to gain a lot more visibility next year.
Founded Year: 2017
Total Funding: $500 K
Website: www.ethnicbrand.co
Africa Sokoni is among the top startups in Nairobi for 2020
The next venture on our list of top startups in Nairobi for 2020 is also an e-commerce brand. Africa Sokoni is a comprehensive e-commerce platform which offers a wide range of products from grocery goods to electronics.
Founded Year: 2017
Total Funding: $995 K
Website: www.africasokoni.co.ke
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/africasokoni-ltd
Optimetriks is among the top startups in Nairobi for 2020
Optometriks aids FMCG brands in understanding their field sales activities in real-time. The SaaS service can be used to manage functions like delivery, order management, store management, and live geo-tracking among the others. Optimetriks is empowering the stakeholders in the retail segment with tech-driven tools that can further help the regional economy grow.
Founded Year: 2016
Total Funding: $653 K
Website: www.optimetriks.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/optimetriks
HotelOnline is among the top startups in Nairobi for 2020
This is the only travel and tourism startup in our list of top startups in Nairobi for 2020. The online booking solution provider for hotels. HotelOnline’s reservation management tools help hospitality brands make the most of their presence on various online channels with features like multilingual customer services for ease in doing so.
Founded Year: 2014
Total Funding: $520 K
Website: www.hotelonline.co
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/hotelonline
Findit.ke is among the top startups in Nairobi for 2020
The rise in digital entrepreneurship in Nairobi has led to an increased focus on digital marketing. Findit.ke is leveraging this need and offers a platform where businesses of all kinds can market their products and services. The online directory is helping people find the products and services they need at the click of a button.
Founded Year: 2018
Total Funding: $200 K
Website: www.findit.ke
The growing internet penetration rate in Africa and especially in Kenya can be attributed to the expansion of digital businesses in Nairobi. Social entrepreneurship ventures, mobile payments, and e-commerce ventures seem to be the most happening segments in Nairobi’s startup ecosystem. If you are a job seeker, Nairobi is an ideal destination to find work as the startup culture mushrooms in the city and rest of the country in 2020.
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