Seven African tech startups have been named by the World Economic Forum (WEF) among its selection of the 100 most promising Technology pioneers of 2021-companies that are shaping industries from healthcare to retail and many more. “The 2021 cohort of Tech Pioneers includes many future headline makers at the forefront of their industries,” said Susan Nesbitt, Head of the Global Innovators Community, World Economic Forum. “These companies show great potential to not only shake up their industries but offer real solutions to global problems. They’ll bring great value to the World Economic Forum’s mission of improving the state of the world with their participation in the Technology Pioneers community.” This year’s cohort has the highest gender diversity yet, with over 30% of companies led by women. There are also 26 economies represented this year, including seven from Africa. Following their selection as Technology Pioneers, this year’s companies will join an impressive group of alumni that include many household names, such as Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Palantir Technologies, Spotify, TransferWise, Twitter and Wikimedia. The 2021 cohort will also be invited to participate in World Economic Forum workshops events and high-level discussions throughout their two years in the community. The 100 selected companies will be invited to participate at World Economic Forum activities, events and high level discussions throughout the year. They will also contribute to Forum initiatives over the next two years, working with global leaders to help address key industry and societal issues. The 2021 African Technology Pioneers include: Cambridge Industries, Ethiopia: Innovating next-generation urban infrastructure through sustainable city parks FlexFinTx, Zimbabwe: Building the next generation of identity management Kuda Technologies, Nigeria: Providing Africans with access to credit and free banking services Moringa School, Kenya: A workforce development platform serving African students mPharma, Ghana: Building good health in Africa through technology-driven healthcare Sokowatch, Kenya: Offering same-day delivery and working capital to African retailers
