Strategies From Top Kenyan Startups to Grow Your Business in 2019

Kenyan startups

In the year 2018, Kenya managed to position itself as one of the most prominent startup destinations in Africa. Dubbed Africa’s ‘Silicon savannah’, we boast  of an ever increasing share of funding raised in the continent making some Kenyan startups the most exciting startups ranging from logistics ,block chain, e-commerce, tourism and payments.

According to a report done by wee tracker, a research and publishing firm, Kenyan startups are among the top companies that secured the highest amount of capital the first half of 2018. Companies like Kenya’s cellulant made a record of a whopping (Sh 4.8 billion) investment. Companies like M-Kopa solar, Branch, Agritech, we farm also scooped half of Africa’s funding in just Six months.

So what is their secret? What are some of these startups doing that made them so successful in 2018?See despite the fact that we have witnessed  a significant growth of innovation hubs and accelerator programs that guide Kenyan entrepreneurs in how to successfully run and manage a startup, some businesses are yet to fully realize noteworthy success. They have not yet been able get to the “scale up” level and enjoy market growth.

However no need to feel demoralized, after carefully  observing  and analyzing the Kenyan startup ecosystem, here are four major strategies that can help in the growth of your startup business ventures in 2019.

Change your Tactics, Being Disruptive works better than being common

Large online retailers and service providers like Jumia, Masoko, and Uber etc. have become household names in the past few years. While comfort definitely beats the hassle of commuting to a Brick and Mortar shop or marketplace, what many business fail to notice is that many of the big names in the online retailing and service providers still have gaps and opportunities which can be addressed digitally.

This year will see disruptive innovation in established business like online retail with personalization of the shopping experience by leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the general shopping experience. You can expect many entrepreneurs experimenting with new age technologies such as AI/ML , Block chain etc. which are now becoming mainstream and create new business models

The Keyboard will not be enough

Voice interfaces are taking the world by storm and entering many disciplines including banking, healthcare, education etc. Voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Home are changing the way brands and consumers interacted in 2018 and no doubt the trend will grow in 2019. Customizable voice searches, Voice notifications that update people in things they’re interested in, like sports or a cultural will definitely be a major thing in 2019. Startups should delve in deeper into voice interfaces if they hope to cash-in on the opportunity that voice AI holds.

Paperwork will No longer cut it

As new mobile applications emerge every day, we are clearly headed to a paperless workplace. The days of having piled-up, disorganized files and papers containing important client data may just be over in 2019 as many upcoming solutions are claiming to provide the perfect assistance you need in meticulously organizing and managing your office data. Don’t believe it, just check many working people’s smartphones; they are full of planners, to do lists among others. .If these apps deliver their claims, work life will become easier with these solutions dedicated to manage paperwork. So it would be better if you digitized your paperwork sooner rather than later.

Address common mwananchi problems with scalable solutions.

When most people consider starting startup ventures, they always rack their minds to come up with ground breaking, earth shattering ideas for their businesses. They end up ignoring the basic fundamental problems that affect us on a daily basis- which are mostly unaddressed by big brands.

In 2019, entrepreneurs should address these areas which have been ignored by the big names and create a mass impact with disruptive startup ideas. This issues can be as common as low availability of water, cheaper housing or traffic jams which can be scaled using technology.

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