Education, a fundamental right, is a powerful catalyst for development worldwide. For that reason, Mumbe Mwangangi is striving to improve child literacy in Kenya. 

Mumbe Mwangangi (photo), a Kenyan social entrepreneur, co-founded and currently leads Nyansapo AI. This startup, established in 2019, leverages technology to enhance the learning experience of primary school children and provides key data to NGOs engaged in educational initiatives.

Nyansapo AI is dedicated to boosting literacy rates among primary school students by creating personalized educational tools powered by artificial intelligence. These tools are designed to streamline the workflow of educators, offering insightful data on student engagement and pinpointing areas that require attention.

Among these tools is an analytical dashboard that empowers educational program managers to evaluate the efficacy of their interventions and implement impactful strategies to improve children’s reading, writing, and arithmetic skills. The Nyansapo mobile app is another such tool that accurately identifies pronunciation errors as students read aloud on a screen, thereby providing trainers with detailed data to craft effective learning activities.

On April 17, 2024, Nyansapo AI was recognized as one of the 16 finalists in the Burning Heroes Africa Startups Awards. The company is set to participate in the competition’s final stage, scheduled for April 23 and 25, 2024.

Mumbe Mwangangi is an alumnus of Maseno University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations. She also holds a master’s degree in disaster management and sustainable development from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.

Following an internship at UNESCO in 2017, Mumbe Mwangangi joined Pacemaker International in 2019 as a fellowship coordinator, contributing to efforts to enhance children’s access to education. In 2021, she took on the role of program coordinator at Peace First, an American incubator specializing in social innovation. These experiences have shaped her vision and fortified her dedication to education and community development.

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A seasoned logistics specialist, he leverages technology to streamline transportation processes and bolster the tracking of goods throughout their journey.

Marc Biegniebe (photo), a Togolese logistics expert and entrepreneur, co-founded Anaxar alongside Essoyodouna Amouzou in 2020. The innovative company aims to revolutionize the transportation of goods across West Africa through a user-friendly digital platform.

Anaxar, headquartered in Togo, extends its services to Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and other countries within the sub-region. With a network of 1,000 seasoned carriers, it guarantees secure and efficient goods transportation at a cost-effective rate for its African clients.

Beyond freight services, Anaxar offers moving and expedited delivery solutions, thereby boosting client productivity. A dedicated mobile app allows clients to monitor their shipments in real-time, ensuring timely deliveries and efficient customer satisfaction.

In a bid to broaden its reach, Anaxar launched GoodTRIP, a carpooling platform. Already functional in Togo, this app links drivers with spare seats to passengers intending to travel along the same routes. With over 768 destinations, 120 available routes, 43 drivers, and 350 registered passengers, GoodTRIP simplifies travel while fostering resource sharing.

Marc Biegniebe is an alumnus of Ecole supérieure de la Mer, where he obtained a degree in port and maritime activities management in 2012. He also earned a degree in port and maritime management in 2015 from the Regional Academy of Marine Sciences and Techniques.

Post-graduation, he joined Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification, as a support assistant in 2015, a position he held until 2021. Simultaneously, he served as a training consultant at the maritime school of Togo.

In acknowledgment of his accomplishments, Marc Biegniebe’s company, Anaxar, was lauded at the inaugural Africa Supply Chain Awards in Senegal in 2023, clinching the award for the most exceptional company in the road transport sector.

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Strive Masiyiwa dreams of a future where every African, without exception, is digitally connected. His impact on the continent has been widely recognized and honored.

Strive Masiyiwa (photo), a philanthropist and businessman from Zimbabwe, is the founder and executive chairman of Cassava Technologies. His use of technology has significantly improved the lives of individuals and businesses across Africa, creating a wealth of opportunities and stimulating economic growth.

Established in 2021, Cassava Technologies has emerged as a pillar of digital transformation in Africa. Headquartered in London and operating in 31 countries, the company provides a wide array of products and services in as many as 94 countries. Its portfolio includes subsidiaries such as Liquid Network, Liquid Dataport, Liquid C2, Africa Data Centres, Distributed Power Africa, Sasai Fintech, Telrad, and Vaya Technologies.

Cassava Technologies is a part of the Econet Group, which also encompasses Econet Wireless. The latter is a telecommunications service provider in sub-Saharan Africa, offering services like mobile and fixed wireless telephony, public telephones, internet access, and payment solutions. It launched its inaugural mobile network in 1998.

In addition to his business ventures, Masiyiwa is deeply committed to social causes through the Higherlife Foundation, which he co-founded with his wife, Tsitsi. The foundation has supported the education of 250,000 orphaned children across Africa and has also sponsored health programs, disaster relief, and rural development initiatives.

Masiyiwa has been a non-executive director of Netflix since 2020 and also serves on the board of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and National Geographic, a premier media outlet in science and exploration. He is a member of the global advisory board for Bank of America.

From 2003 to 2018, Masiyiwa was a board member of the Rockefeller Foundation and served as a non-executive director for the consumer goods company Unilever from 2016 to 2024. He was an African Union special envoy for combating Covid-19 from 2020 to 2022.

Masiyiwa’s significant impact on the tech scene, both in Africa and globally, has earned him numerous accolades. In January 1990, he was honored as the Zimbabwean Businessman of the Year. In January 2020, Bloomberg named him among the 50 Most Influential People in the World, and Mail & Guardian listed him among the 100 Most Influential Africans. That same year, JA Worldwide inducted him into the Junior Achievement Worldwide Global Business Hall of Fame. In 2021, Fortune Magazine ranked him among the 50 Greatest World Leaders.

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A biomedical engineer by training, he ventured into healthcare entrepreneurship, successfully launching five startups, including Aumet, which is expanding across the Middle East and North Africa.

Yahya Aqel (photo), founder and CEO of Aumet, leads a business-to-business marketplace for pharmaceutical products in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Based in the United States, the startup operates in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Oman.

Established in 2020, Aumet provides a platform that connects pharmaceutical suppliers with pharmacies, streamlining the supply process and enhancing access to medical supplies. The company was founded to make the acquisition of medical supplies by healthcare providers more efficient and transparent. One of the features distinguishing its platform is artificial intelligence.  By harnessing data analytics, the platform optimizes inventory restocking, anticipates needs, and connects healthcare providers with the most suitable suppliers.

Since its inception, the startup has enjoyed the support of Orange as a development partner. It has benefited from guidance and expertise in various areas, including technological development, marketing, and commercial expansion. Currently, the company is represented at the World Electronics Forum, which is ongoing in Morocco until Thursday, April 18, 2024.

When asked about expansion plans, Yahya Aqel reveals ambitious aspirations. "We have ambitious expansion prospects in new markets, both regional—like the GCC (UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain), Morocco, and Iraq—and international, including France, the UK, and the US. We see significant growth opportunities in markets where healthcare supply processes are inefficient or fragmented," he told We Are Tech Africa.

Yahya Aqel graduated from Hashemite University in Jordan in 2006 with a bachelor’s in biomedical engineering. He also holds an MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain, earned in 2015. Before embarking on the Aumet venture, he founded four other startups. It all began with Al-Sumow International Co., a medical manufacturer established in Kuwait in 2005, where he served as managing director until its acquisition in 2011.

In 2011, he co-founded Aqel Universal Medical Equipment and Tools, a company specializing in the manufacture of health products, including disposable non-woven and plastic items, in the Gulf region. He led this company as CEO until 2014, when he launched Healthy Brain, an e-commerce platform dedicated to selling medical products.

In 2016, he continued his entrepreneurial streak by co-founding OnEx, a sales platform for health product manufacturers and distributors. This platform enabled users to expand their operations both internationally and locally.

Recognized for his significant impact on the healthcare sector, Yahya Aqel was honored as Entrepreneur of the Year by EY in 2019. His startup has also been recognized by the World Economic Forum as one of the top 100 globally, demonstrating its growing global influence.

Melchior Koba