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Kenya’s Leading StartUps

M-KOPA SOLARMKOPAR Solar

M-KOPAs is dedicated to making high quality energy affordable to everyone. They are headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya and are the global leader of “pay-as-you-go” energy for off-grid customers. Since its commercial launch in October 2012, M-KOPA has connected more than 200,000 homes in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to solar power, and is now adding over 500 new homes each day.

The success of M-KOPA (M= mobile, KOPA= to borrow) stems from making solar products affordable to low-income households on a pay-per-use installment plan. Customers acquire solar systems for a small deposit and then purchase daily usage “credits” for US $0.45, or less than the price of traditional kerosene lighting. After one year of payments customers own their solar systems outright and can upgrade to more power.

All revenues are collected in real-time via mobile money systems (such as M-PESA in Kenya) and embedded GSM sensors in each solar system allow M-KOPA to monitor real time performance and regulate usage based upon payments. This connected design means that M-KOPA is processing vast amounts of data (i.e. over 10,000 mobile payments per day) via the company’s proprietary cloud platform, M-KOPAnet. As of May 2015 M-KOPA employs over 650 full time staff across East Africa and sells through a network of 1,000 direct sales agents. It has also commenced licensing its technology to partners in other markets.

 

BRCK

BRCK KenyaIs a team of software developers, engineers and technologists who are from Africa and live in Africa. They have a long history of building things, such as Ushahidi, Crowdmap and the iHub. Their expertise runs from cloud software to fingerprint scanners for mobile devices to high-level medical device prototyping and manufacturing.

The BRCK was designed and prototyped in Nairobi, Kenya. They wanted a connectivity device that fit their needs, where electricity and internet connections are problematic both in urban and rural areas.

The device they created is – physically robust, able to connect to multiple networks, a hub for all local devices, has enough backup power to survive a blackout in an ever changing  world that is continously connected to the web. We no longer only get online via desktops in our office with an ethernet connection, we have multiple devices, and mobile connectivity is crucial.

M-CHANGA

M-Changa is a fundraiser management platform that provides cutting edge end-to-end management tools to enhance fundraising success. Through a mobile and an online platform, M-Changa helps users raise funds through M-Pesa, Airtel Money PayPal. Using M-Changa (Mobile or Online) allows the user to spend less in fees and to do much more than traditional methods!

CHURA

Chura started from a very simple idea. The idea was to ease the difficulties users experience in accessing  airtime services across different mobile service providers. Service delivery between mobile network operators is poor, expensive and at worst unavailable. We realized each network has unique strengths and challenges, and,  its our duty to maximize the benefits for our users. The result is an integrated, user friendly, easy to use package for  mwananchi to enjoy and share with loved ones.

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4 Comments

  • by Samson
    Posted August 27, 2015 9:08 pm

    I love to see progress in Africa. This is what you never hear on the news.

    • by plax dosantos
      Posted August 28, 2015 7:29 am

      If CNN or Fox showed this then independent black voices would not exist and spaces like this with authentic black voices would not. Thankfully CNN leaves this market to create content for us &by us wonderful Black people. Keep sharing.

  • by Afrogal
    Posted August 28, 2015 5:47 am

    Great innovation out of Africa.well done my compatriots.

  • by SamChiko
    Posted August 28, 2015 10:34 am

    Africa is rising!!!

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