Data for matchmaking: connecting start-ups and funders

THE QUESTION

Can an AI-powered platform connect Kenyan start-ups with the right funders to help them secure early-stage investment?

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LOCATION: Kenya
SECTOR: Sustainable Economic Development
TECH: AI
TIMELINE: September 2024 - Present
PIONEER: Daniel Wilcox
PARTNERS: TBC

The Challenge

Funding is one of the biggest hurdles for start-ups in Kenya. Entrepreneurs often don’t know where to seek funding or face long and complicated application processes. On the other side of the coin, many investors hesitate to back early-stage ventures due to perceived risks and regulatory barriers.

Kenya is home to about 7.41 million micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), yet according to a World Bank report, over 40% cite access to finance as a significant obstacle to growth. Around 70% of start-up loan applications are rejected, leaving many businesses stuck in a cycle of financial insecurity. Meanwhile, investors and venture capitalists struggle to find and vet promising ventures to support.

This disconnect between start-ups and funders stifles innovation, limits job creation, and slows economic growth in one of Africa’s leading hubs for entrepreneurship.

The Idea

What if start-ups and funders could find each other more easily? This pilot will develop an AI-driven platform to bridge the gap.

The platform will serve as a matchmaking tool for start-ups and investors, offering:

• Tailored recommendations: AI-powered insights to match start-ups with funding opportunities that fit their needs.

• Streamlined processes: Simplified applications to reduce the burden on entrepreneurs.

• Investor risk tools: Advanced analytics to help funders assess and mitigate risk.

• Feedback loops: Collecting and sharing insights from rejected applications to improve future submissions.

• Community support: Peer-to-peer learning spaces for start-ups to connect and share advice.

This platform aims to make the funding process more efficient and accessible for both start-ups and investors. By leveraging AI, it can scale more effectively than current manual or fragmented solutions.

The Kenyan start-up ecosystem plays a crucial role in creating jobs, driving innovation, attracting foreign investment, and reducing poverty. By improving access to funding, this project has the potential to unlock growth for thousands of businesses, fueling sustainable economic development across the country.

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Our learnings and stories so far

This pilot hasn’t started to publish yet, but there are plenty of other blogs to read below. Check back soon!