Proud moment for Kenya as three homegrown startups storm into Africa’s MEST Challenge semi-finals

Proud moment for Kenya as three homegrown startups storm into Africa’s MEST Challenge semi-finals

Proud moment for Kenya as three homegrown startups storm into Africa’s MEST Challenge semi-finals

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Three Kenyan ventures—Logistify AI, Farmsky Ventures, and Investa Farm—have been named among Africa’s top 20 innovators in the prestigious MEST Africa Challenge 2025

Three Kenyan startups have advanced to the semi-finals of the 2025 MEST Africa Challenge (MAC), a continental competition that recognises innovative fintech and high-value chain solutions.
Now in its seventh edition, the competition is organised by MEST Africa in partnership with Absa.
This year’s theme, “You Build, We Scale,” invited founders from Absa’s eight priority markets—Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Uganda, and Zambia—to develop scalable financial solutions.
The three Kenyan startups that made it to the semi-finals are Logistify AI, an AI-powered procurement and supply chain platform for small and medium-sized enterprises; Farmsky Ventures, a digital lending and crop insurance platform for smallholder farmers; and Investa Farm, which offers voucher-backed loans for climate-resilient farm inputs to help farmers access vital resources.
“Each of these founders represents a unique path toward reimagining how finance works for Africans,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor at MEST Africa and MAC Lead.
“Their ideas pair technology with empathy, proving that lasting change comes from solving real problems within their own communities.”

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The Kenyan startups will compete alongside 17 other ventures from across the continent. Botswana is represented by mystock.africa, while Ghana’s entries include Brydge and Kutana Technologies Limited. Other semi-finalists include Black Swan (Mauritius), Fusepay (Seychelles), and Simulador Bancário (Mozambique).
Uganda has several representatives—Paytota, Xzerra, Kanzu Finance Limited, Axiom Zorn, Credify Africa Inc., and eMaisha Pay—while Zambia’s contenders include Ebusaka Green Technology Limited, KreativBox Technology, Mighty Finance Solution Inc., Devdraft Ai, and Homer Price Agency Solutions Limited.
Online pitches
The semi-finalists will present their pitches online during the week of October 27, 2025. The ten strongest ventures will move on to the Final Demo Day in Cape Town, South Africa, on November 26.
The overall winner will receive $50,000 (Sh6.4 million) in equity funding, gain access to MEST Africa’s extensive network of mentors and investors, and have the opportunity to pilot projects in collaboration with Absa.
“Congratulations to the top 20 finalists,” said Tawanda Chatikobo, Head of Digital for Absa Regional Operations, Retail and Business Banking.
“The quality of submissions has been exceptional, showcasing the depth of innovation and entrepreneurial drive across Africa. Our partnership with MEST reflects our commitment to open collaboration within the FinTech ecosystem.”

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