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– A Kenyan startup's idea to make it easier for farmers to make payments has won it the top prize at a tech competition in Estonia, Mashable reports. The startup, VunaPay, beat 380 other applicants to take the top prize at Latitude59's second satellite event in Nairobi. "Seeing three female founders who are all running impact startups pitch on stage made me happy," Latitude59 CEO Liisi Org tells the Kenyan Wall Street. "Impact-driven solutions were a major theme this year, and there were many of deserving applicants—the majority had working products and were prepared to raise a round."Kenyan startup VunaPay, which is transforming rapid payments for farmers, won the Latitude59 Pitch Competition yesterday at Nairobi’s A.S.K. Dome. Latitude59, Estonia’s premier tech and start-up event, is holding its second satellite event in Kenya. Only 10 firms advanced to the final pitch stage out of the over 380 submissions received from 37 countries for the pitch competition. The jury was impressed by VunaPay’s scalable potential and impactful solution for farmers. The young startup will receive a travel and a booth at Latitude59 2025 in Tallinn, which will be covered by Latitude59. Additionally, VunaPay will get priority entry to the 2025 Tallinn Pitch Competition.
Nearly 2,000 digital entrepreneurs, investors, enthusiasts, and innovators travelled from all over the world to participate in the event yesterday. Liisi Org, the CEO of Latitude59, told the Kenyan Wall Street that although the final competition was difficult, the jury unanimously chose VunaPay as the winner. “Seeing three female founders who are all running impact startups pitch on stage made me happy. Impact-driven solutions were a major theme this year, and there were many of deserving applicants—the majority had working products and were prepared to raise a round!
Org also emphasised Latitude59’s increasing success in Kenya over the last two years, saying, “This event exceeded our expectations thanks to our incredible partners and friends here in Kenya and our deeper understanding of the ecosystem.” With the goal of becoming Africa’s premier startup and tech event, we’re already making plans for next year,” she said. The significance of cooperation between Kenya and Estonia was emphasised by Daniel Erik Schaer, Estonia’s ambassador to South Africa and Kenya: “Estonia is a small country, and partnerships are essential for us.” I hope you’ll take use of this chance to network, investigate, and collaborate to produce something truly remarkable, as many of our daring entrepreneurs are now operating in Africa.
