Seven women-led startups in Kenya have secured a combined KSh9 million in grants under the ninth cohort of the Women in Tech Kenya Accelerator, giving the businesses fresh capital to strengthen their technology solutions, expand operations and reach new customers.
The Standard Chartered Foundation awarded each startup approximately KSh1.29 million (approx. USD 10 000) at a ceremony held at Standard Chartered’s Nairobi offices on September 29.
The Standard Chartered Foundation runs the accelerator in partnership with Village Capital and Strathmore University, providing women entrepreneurs with more than funding.
Participants receive mentorship, business development support, investment-readiness training and access to business networks.
The programme targets women-led, technology-enabled businesses that use innovation to address challenges across sectors including healthcare, agriculture, education and financial inclusion.
The latest cohort was selected on the strength of the startups’ business models, growth prospects, innovation and potential social and economic impact, according to the Standard Chartered Foundation.
Startups Tackle Healthcare, Agriculture and AI
The seven businesses span a broad range of technology-driven solutions.
Premac Care, founded by Jackline Murimi, provides home-based maternal, newborn, elderly and specialised nursing care, using its business model to extend access to healthcare beyond traditional facilities.
ChipuRobo Center, co-founded by Cindy Gachuhi, focuses on making artificial intelligence and robotics more accessible to young people through practical learning and locally produced robotics kits.
In agriculture, FishBox Africa, founded by Madeleine Mung’ei, uses AI-powered farm management and smart feeding technology to help fish farmers improve yields while reducing waste.
Nakuru Tubers, founded by Winnie Wambugu, connects smallholder farmers with verified agricultural inputs through digital tools, demand matching and last-mile distribution.
The focus on agricultural technology comes as African food systems face pressure to raise productivity, improve market access and reduce losses while supporting millions of smallholder farmers.
Digital Solutions Target Education and Business Intelligence
TRIDENT ANALiTICs, pioneered by Elizabeth Gakinya, uses data and analytics to help businesses convert information into actionable insights, targeting a growing demand for data-driven decision-making among enterprises.
In education, Uptyke Education (Digital Publishers), founded by Lilian Mutegi, uses digital publishing to expand access to learning resources and educational opportunities.
Seta Farm Limited, founded by Christine Njuguna, combines technology-enabled mushroom production with organic-waste utilisation. Its model seeks to turn agricultural waste into a commercial input while creating income opportunities for women and young people.
The diversity of the seven businesses reflects the accelerator’s broader objective of supporting technology-led enterprises that address practical economic and social challenges.
For the founders, the KSh9 million grant pool provides growth capital at a stage when access to early-stage financing remains a major constraint for startups across Africa.
Beyond the cash, the accelerator’s mentorship and investment-readiness support is designed to help participating businesses strengthen their operations and prepare for further capital.
The programme also gives the startups access to networks that can support partnerships, market expansion and future investment.
As Kenya continues to develop its technology and startup ecosystem, programmes targeting women founders are increasingly focused on moving entrepreneurs beyond early-stage ideas towards commercially sustainable businesses capable of creating jobs and delivering services at scale.
The latest Women in Tech cohort therefore represents both a funding injection for seven individual businesses and a broader effort to increase the participation of women entrepreneurs in Kenya’s technology-driven economy.
