Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore (left) and M-Kopa Solar MD Jesse Moore. PHOTO | FILE
By MBUGUA NJIHIA
In Summary
- Energy is hot right now, whether it is reducing the reliance on fossil fuels or greenhouse effects. Strauss Energy are innovating on building integrated photovoltaics with their flagship product as roofing tiles that come bundled with capability to generate electricity from the sun.
I have had the opportunity to interact with some
really smart entrepreneur’s from across Africa in the past few months
and have been impressed by the ventures started that have custom
hardware as a core component.
There are players like BRCK with their ruggedized
connectivity solution and M-Kopa Solar with their pay as you go solar
lighting systems, who are very visible courtesy of having shipped
product and closed on funding to power marketing, additional research
development and scale.
There are many others in different stages of
actualisation slowly working their way from prototype to market ready
product and with the Gearbox, Kenya’s first open makerspace for design
and rapid prototyping finalising on its inaugural space, it is an
exciting time for makers and owners of capital looking for expanded
opportunities within the tech sector.
In the commerce space, Sasalog are onto something
with their all-inclusive plug and play point of sale system built for
the micro retailer ecosystem that powers trade in many African markets
with visibility given to both large and small fast moving consumer goods
manufacturers on stock outs allowing for possible just in time
fulfilment.
Energy is hot right now, whether it is reducing the
reliance on fossil fuels or greenhouse effects. Strauss Energy are
innovating on building integrated photovoltaics with their flagship
product as roofing tiles that come bundled with capability to generate
electricity from the sun.
Deployed at scale they have a real shot of
contributing more affordable power to the grid allowing home owners to
benefit from net metering. PayGo Energy have a smart play to “displace”
charcoal and kerosene.
Transport and logistics has attracted suitors as
well. Sure Telematics with a back haul optimisation and insurance
agenda, Mbetsa, and others with speed governor and fleet management
platforms and CyberTrace with a niche fuel management play.
Agriculture is sensor focused with companies such
as Illuminum Greenhouses rolling out smart units, a handful of others
looking at faster, accurate and affordable ways to deliver soil testing
and others deploying meteorological substations for a more granular take
on regional weather conditions upon which to build value added
services.
The government has seen some action too. Though the
rollout was not commercially realised, Pima Sema, was a feedback
capture device that was scoped and built for use at points of services
across government’s vast network of citizen centres.
This is but a cross sector sampling of those
currently invested in the hardware space with many more in poised to
come to light from their jua kali operations and rudimentary workshop
setups as support for the movement grows and more and more teams mature
their products into real businesses.
Mr Njihia is CEO of Symbiotic. Twitter: @mbuguanjihia.
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