6 African Startups Who Made the WEF Pioneers of 2022

These startups who have been recognised as the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Technology Pioneers are at the top of their fields, driving innovation and addressing some of the most serious issues facing the globe, such as climate change, food security, cybersecurity, etc.

Six startups, three of which are from Nigeria, are part of the cohort this year They include Okra, Ampersand and Ejara. 

Kenyan startups like Access Sendy, Pula, and Afya are also part of the platforms named on WEF Technology Pioneers.

Seven African startups made the list the previous year, these include two Nigerian startups Kuda and 54gene. Two Kenyan startups Sokowatch and Moringa School. One from Ghana, mPharma. One from Zimbabwe, FlexFinTx, and the last from Ethiopia, Cambridge Industries.

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What WEF Pioneers is about?

The WEF Technology Pioneers are early-stage to growth-stage businesses operating globally that majorly contribute to business and society by using new technologies and innovations.

The World Economic Forum believes that innovation is essential to ensuring societal progress and spurring economic expansion.

The Technology Pioneer community, which was established in 2000, is made up of early to growth-stage businesses from all over the world that are engaged in the creation, advancement, and application of novel technologies and innovations that have the potential to have a significant impact on industry and society.

In addition to the technology pioneers, they will now join an alumni community that includes some of the most valuable internet businesses in the world, such as Google, Twitter, Spotify, Wikipedia, and Mozilla, among others.

“By joining this community, Technology Pioneers begin a two-year journey where they are part of the World Economic Forum’s initiatives, activities and events, bringing their cutting-edge insight and fresh thinking to critical global discussions. 

Technology Pioneers are an integral part of the Forum’s Global Innovators community, which is an invitation-only group of the world’s most promising start-ups and scale-ups that are at the forefront of technological and business model innovation,” said a statement by WEF.

More of the African startups that made the WEF Pioneers of 2022

1. Okra

Okra is a fintech and API startup from Nigeria that focuses on digitising financial services all over the continent. The business achieves this by making it simple for fintech companies and even banks to access client financial data. 

2. Access Afya

This Kenyan startup specialises in offering high-quality, cost-effective healthcare to the general public worldwide. The healthtech startup uses technology to make the most of the “patient data to support efficient diagnostic, operational and follow-up treatment routes.”

3. Sendy

This startup which is also from Kenya, specialises in creating the continent’s eCommerce fulfilment infrastructure for consumer brands. In other words, according to information on its website, the company “makes trading in Africa easier and more beneficial to more people.”

4. Pula Advisors

This Kenyan startup offers double services as an insurance and technology platform. The objective of the platform is to assure profit and de-risk all agricultural investments.

5. Ampersand

This Rwandan startup has been credited as being the industry’s top battery-swap energy network for light automobiles. 

According to the company’s website information that says, “we offer East Africa’s five million taxi motorbike operators a commercial electric motorcycle that is cheaper from day one, gives a better overall user experience, and requires little client behavior modification.”

6. Ejara

This Cameroonian firm specialises in assisting Africans, both at home and abroad, to engage in a variety of financial products, such as stocks, cryptocurrencies, commodities, etc.

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