Two Kenyan Startups Making a Mark Globally
Kenya boasts the significant steps made by two of its startups that are ranking high on global markets. Nairobi, Kenya's capital, is no doubt the Silicon Valley of technological startups. The two firms, Lori Systems and Twiga Foods, have been recognized globally after making it to the 2020 World Economic Forum (WEF) list. Here is what you didn't know about the two firms.
Lori Systems
Lori Systems is a Kenyan private startup founded in 2016 by Ernest Gichini Ngaruiya and Josh Sandler. It is a freight, logistics and transportation startup with its headquarters in Nairobi.
The firm employs between 100 and 250 employees. It has expanded its operations beyond Kenya's borders to Uganda, Rwanda and South Africa. Initially, the company was primarily dealing with the transportation of cereals and fertilizers. Currently, it is now doing bulk freight.
The firm has been hailed for promoting technology, promoting climate protection and improving health care. Also, the firm has been very instrumental in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic through testing.
Sandler worked with the Kenya government in the supply chain department. He later went to Study in Nigeria. It is then that he observed how Uber was doing business. After seeing the progress made by Uber in the transportation industry, he thought he could also start a business dealing with trucks.
Sandler, Lori's founder, is a South African born where his family was a victim of apartheid. In 1990, his parents moved to the US, giving him a chance to experience a different environment. However, till date, he is still attached to his native country, South Africa where he visits.
Read also: Challenges facing small businesses in Kenya.
Twiga Foods
Twiga Foods is a Kenyan founded startup by Grant Brooke and Peter Njonjo in 2014. It is an e-commerce, agricultural, retail marketplace. The firm operates within the Nairobi area and employs 250 to 500 employees. It has invested over $30 million from investors.
The firm was recognized for its innovative way of doing business. It has led to the ease of doing business by allowing small businesses like small scale vendors to make orders online. In Nairobi alone, the firm serves over 180,000 retailers with over 17,000 retailers and 8,000 vendors. It ensures fast delivery of supplies.
This has made it easy for people in urban areas to access foodstuffs. It brings together farmers, pack houses and food supply chains to deliver food to urban areas. The firm has also promoted agriculture and yet maintaining fair prices in the market.
Twiga Foods is a B2B and B2C food distribution firm. It is expanding its operations to Mombasa and West African countries. The firm has been funded mainly by Goldman Sachs, a US-based finance company.
