Twelve startups from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda have been selected into the inaugural Scale Velocity Lab accelerator, as East Africa’s technology ecosystem pushes beyond survival-stage entrepreneurship into a new era focused on scaling revenue, infrastructure and regional market dominance.
The programme, launched by Clarus in partnership with Norrsken East Africa, is targeting what investors increasingly describe as one of Africa’s biggest startup bottlenecks, helping traction-stage companies transition from promising ventures into scalable businesses capable of attracting long-term capital.
“Join us in welcoming the startups and founders that make up the inaugural cohort of Scale Velocity Lab,” Clarus said in announcing the programme.
“12 Startups. 4 Countries. One mission, to scale.”
The cohort was selected from across East Africa and brings together founders working in artificial intelligence, logistics, recruitment technology, agriculture, insurance technology, mobility, e-commerce infrastructure, health technology and digital services.
The strongest spotlight has fallen on a new generation of African entrepreneurs building locally grounded solutions to structural economic problems long ignored by traditional markets and global technology platforms.
Africa’s Startup Funding Shift Forces Focus on Scalability
The programme arrives at a critical moment for Africa’s startup economy.
After years of explosive venture capital growth, African startups are now operating in a tougher funding environment as global investors demand stronger unit economics, profitability pathways and scalable business models rather than growth-at-all-costs expansion.
East Africa, however, remains one of the continent’s most active innovation corridors, driven by rapid smartphone adoption, digital payments infrastructure, rising youth entrepreneurship and persistent service gaps across transport, finance, healthcare and agriculture.
According to industry estimates, Africa’s digital economy could contribute nearly $180 billion to the continent’s GDP by 2025, with startups increasingly viewed as critical infrastructure for employment creation and economic modernisation.
Among the selected founders is Kenyan entrepreneur Sila Kironji, founder of Intelli, an artificial intelligence-powered customer engagement platform consolidating communication across WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and websites.
“Say goodbye to missed messages, late responses, and long conversations,” the company said.
“Intelli delivers 24/7 seamless, efficient AI-powered support, all while maintaining the human touch.”
The startup is targeting businesses increasingly under pressure to digitise customer service operations while maintaining responsiveness across multiple communication channels.
Kenya’s Wilson Kennedy and his startup Ohcargo were also selected into the accelerator as investors intensify interest in African logistics technology.
“Ohcargo is built to provide transport and delivery to Cargo owners: Manufactured Products, Groceries, Medicines, Furniture, Food, and Clothes,” the company said.
“It gives users the freedom to order goods and services Anytime, Anywhere, with fast and reliable delivery.”
The logistics sector remains one of Africa’s largest untapped opportunities as fragmented transport systems and weak infrastructure continue driving up the cost of moving goods across the continent.
Another Kenyan-linked venture drawing attention is Map Maven GMB Experts, founded by Multimedia University of Kenya student Abraham Muka and Stanley Samuel serving as Chief AI & Machine Learning Officer.
The company describes itself as “the world’s only agency devoted exclusively to 29 specialist Google Business Profile and AI-powered services—all under one roof.”
The venture provides Google Business Profile optimisation, local SEO, AI chatbots, automated customer engagement systems and digital visibility tools targeting businesses across Kenya, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“Our mission is to pair deep local-SEO expertise with cutting-edge AI so you outpace competitors 24/7,” the company said.
Whether you’re “a solo storefront, a growing franchise or an agency partner,” it added, “Map Maven GMB Experts delivers measurable Map Pack dominance, stronger reviews and a steady stream of qualified leads.”
Rwanda emerged as one of the cohort’s strongest represented ecosystems, underscoring the country’s growing ambition to position itself as a regional technology and innovation hub.
Rwandan entrepreneur Terhas Legesse joined the cohort through HireMe Afrika, a recruitment and staffing platform focused on connecting African talent with employers across the continent.
“Connecting Africa’s top talents with leading employers, we specialize in swift recruitment and staffing solutions to empower the job market across the continent,” the company said.
“WE SPEAK TALENT.”
The selection comes as Africa’s youth unemployment crisis intensifies despite a rapidly growing working-age population.
The continent is projected to account for the world’s largest labour force by 2035, yet formal job creation continues lagging behind demographic growth.
Rwandan startup SomaPix, founded by Bonheur Iraguha, is attempting to modernise how event photography is distributed and experienced.
“SomaPix is an event photo discovery platform that transforms how event photos are shared, discovered, and experienced,” the company said.
The cohort also includes Kanda Technologies, led by Ribka Getu Tadesse, which is building digital infrastructure aimed at simplifying insurance operations.
“At Kanda Technologies, we’re dedicated to transforming the insurance industry through innovative, technology-driven solutions that simplify processes, connect stakeholders, and deliver measurable impact,” the company said.
Also selected was Kingura, founded by Miriam Uwingabiye and focused on digital learning in African languages, a sector increasingly attracting attention as governments and private firms seek to localise digital education content.
Lifestyle and sustainable manufacturing startup Wood Habitat, led by Paradis Nishimwe Imfura, entered the programme with a women-led furniture production model rooted in Rwandan craftsmanship and sustainability.
“Handmade with precision, manufactured and run by Rwandans, with a women-led team Creating value to people and value to the planet,” the company said.
From Tanzania, mobility startup Safiri and founder Abraham Itule were selected for building transport management and ticketing infrastructure targeting African cities.
“We’re Making AFRICAN CITES Usable!” the company said.
Safiri operates transportation management software, GPS systems, ticketing tools and online travel booking infrastructure across Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Malawi.
“We’re obsessed with reliability,” the company said.
“We enable you to get to your destination by providing you realtime updates of your transport and other transit information.”
Uganda also secured strong representation in the cohort.
PALLI Technologies, founded by Jonathan Brown, focuses on coordinating last-mile distribution systems connecting suppliers, agents and retailers without assuming direct asset ownership risks.
Meanwhile, Ugandan agritech company EzyAgric and founder George William Luyinda are digitising agricultural value chains and linking farmers to production and marketing services.
“Through our value chain digitization platform, EzyAgric, and our network of community-based agricultural service providers, village agents, we bridge the information and service delivery gap between farmers and agribusinesses,” the company said.
Agriculture remains Africa’s largest employer, yet millions of smallholder farmers still operate with limited market data, financing and digital access.
Health innovation also featured prominently through Impala Healthtech Research, founded by Chraish Miiro.
The organisation focuses on developing and scaling health technology systems using research methodologies and data-driven approaches to improve healthcare delivery.
East Africa’s Startup Model Shifts Toward Infrastructure-Led Innovation
The diversity of the Scale Velocity Lab cohort reflects a broader evolution underway across African entrepreneurship.
Rather than replicating Silicon Valley consumer models, many African founders are building businesses around infrastructure gaps unique to emerging markets, from logistics and agricultural digitisation to multilingual education, mobility systems and financial inclusion.
Clarus and Norrsken East Africa said the accelerator was specifically designed for the region’s most ambitious traction-stage startups, signalling a deliberate focus on companies already demonstrating operational potential.
For East African founders facing tightening venture capital conditions, the stakes are increasingly high.
Startups capable of scaling efficiently across fragmented African markets are expected to dominate the next phase of the continent’s digital economy, while weaker ventures risk disappearing as investor scrutiny intensifies.
The inaugural Scale Velocity Lab cohort suggests Africa’s next generation of founders is preparing for exactly that battle.
