Kenyan Tech Start-Ups Battle for Visa Funding

Four Kenyan tech start-ups are set to battle for Sh5 million funding from American multinational financial services corporation Visa.

The four, M-Changa, Mookh, WayaWaya and LipaPlus are among 12 finalists selected from 238 entries from different African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.

“I would like to congratulate the finalists and wish them luck as they enter the final stretch,” said Geraldine Mitchley, the Visa director for Digital Solutions for Sub-Sahara Africa.

M-Changa is a fundraising management platform while Mookh Africa is a solution that enables customers to easily buy and sell goods on mainstream social media platforms. The two will compete in the second challenge alongside WayaWaya, which enables access to banking.

On the other hand, LipaPlus, a Kenyan mobile POS and wallet that enables cashless payments is competing in the third challenge.

Each challenge will have one winner who will pocket Sh2.5 million funding, while the overall winner will get an additional Sh2.5 million. Winners will be announced in Johannesburg, South Africa next week.