Six Kenyans received support to expand their ventures after global tech company Mozilla Corporation in collaboration with Nairobi County, awarded them Ksh13 million.
In a press release dated Thursday, June 29, Mozilla and Nairobi County picked three tech start-ups: Getpayd, Deaf Elimu and Hali Halisi, and three student innovations, Classify Me, Audred and Mama Pesa.
Getpayd is an organisation that provides affordable and accessible training tech training for youths, while Deaf Elimu is a start-up company that provides innovative educational products and sign language training.
The other winner Hali Halisi is a digital sign language platform that connects the deaf with interpreters for in-person or digital sign language sessions.
Classify Me was picked for its innovative, socially scalable idea in the students' category, and Mama Pesa was selected for offering financial aid and support to different Kenyans in various sectors.
The winners were unveiled during the inaugural Mozilla Africa Mradi Innovation Challenge held in Nairobi, where the winners were given grants to help them develop their products and position themselves in the market.
According to Mozilla, the programme was launched to promote innovation and help Kenyans develop ideas to address various challenges facing different sectors of the economy.
The initiative is designed to provide technical support and access to grants and help innovators market their products globally.
"Nairobi City County Government is working with Mozilla Africa Mradi to ensure that tech start-ups and innovators get access to grants and are enabled to access venture capital investments locally and globally," the global tech company stated.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja welcomed the initiative indicating that it was key to promoting entrepreneurship in the country.
He further hailed the Mozilla Africa Mradi Innovation Challenge indicating that it would motivate Kenyans to find solutions to various problems facing the two levels of government.
"Nairobi City County Government is working with Mozilla Africa Mradi to ensure that tech start-ups and innovators get access to grants and are enabled to access venture capital investments locally and globally," Sakaja stated.
The Mozilla Africa Mradi Innovation Challenge was launched in Nairobi in May 2023 with a call to African tech innovators to develop creative solutions for unique African needs.
Its launch aligned with President William Ruto's administration's plans to increase access to digital infrastructure. Through the Ministry of ICT, Ruto facilitated internet connectivity across numerous public locations.
Ruto observed that the expansion of the country's digital infrastructure, was key to creating more employment opportunities for Kenyans.
“I appreciate Google’s support in enhancing the digital superhighway and creative economy pillar of our transformational agenda. In particular, for your support for our plan to provide free wi-fi hotspots across the country," Ruto stated after meeting Google representatives on June 13.
