Strathmore University-based business incubator @iBizAfrica, alongside Standard Chartered Bank has awarded five local women-led tech-based businesses with KES 1million each to help scale their businesses.
The startups were selected from a group of 380 companies that competed for the prize.
The winners were selected virtually thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first time this has happened since the start of the competition in 2014.
2020’s top winners are:
- Soul Food– Founded by Chanya Mwanyota, Soul food is a Swahili Restaurant serving Swahili cuisine and Nigeria cuisine that has led to the creation of six virtual restaurants where they are able to provide hassle-free, fast and efficient quality diverse meals.
- Taste Afrique– Founded by Anzazi Kiti and Winnie Chiwai, Taste Afrique is a manufacturing company that distributes and sells natural food seasoning products and mixed spices called Chibundiro.
- BenaCare– Founded by Naomi Monari, Benacare provides home nursing services to people with life-limiting illnesses across the country.
- Nature’s Touch– Founded by Diana Ochola and Caroline Ngugi, the two are passionate about adopting natural personal care regimes in their lives. They provide health and wellness information to the public, deliver natural personal care products that are designed for individuals and their families to meet their daily grooming needs.
- Arbes Biotech– Founded by Rachael Akeyo, the company is an agricultural startup that generates seedlings using culture technology to provide quality seedlings of various plants to clients and partners in East Africa.
Every year, @iBizAfrica trains more than 40 SMEs that use technology tools to sell their services. The incubator further mentors, advises, coaches, and offers networking opportunities to the teams, as well as enabling them to access seed fund.
“This event taking place virtually is a great milestone to show the importance of technology and how businesses are using technology to drive their businesses forward. During this pandemic, businesses that have adapted to taking up technology are thriving showing that technology is fundamental,” says Standard Chartered Bank CEO Kariuki Ngari.
“We are very pleased to be part of this great initiative that annually seeks to grow Women-led businesses in Kenya. This program over the years has shown a tremendous increase of women businesses with great potential to drive the Kenyan economy to greater heights. We believe in building on the skills of small and medium enterprises that foster innovation and drive change, and we’re proud to be part of the positive impact they are making in the business community,” says @iLabAfrica- Strathmore University Director Dr. Joseph Sevilla.
