Eighty-six innovators participating in Kenya’s Presidential Innovation Challenge and Award recently pitched their innovative startups, seeking funding and technical support from the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA).
The Presidential Innovation Challenge and Award is a presidential flagship programme implemented by KeNIA under the patronage of William Ruto, Kenya’s president. The initiative aims to support startups at different maturity levels, including idea, early stage, and growth stage.
It has a focus on addressing critical national priorities such as agriculture and food security, manufacturing, affordable healthcare, digital transformation, and gaming and entertainment. The week-long pitch fest, held in Nakuru County, provided an opportunity for the 86 finalists to present their groundbreaking ideas to a panel of expert judges, who provided valuable feedback.
As part of its innovation support intervention, KeNIA will provide the selected startups with de-risking grants of up to KES5 million (US$40,000). Furthermore, the startups will benefit from technical support through incubation and acceleration programmes, investor linkages, and exhibition opportunities.
“KeNIA implements this initiative as a ‘special purpose’ vehicle to create a robust ecosystem of innovative startups ready for investment and commercialization,” said Dr Tonny Omwansa, CEO of KeNIA.
