Nakuru County Leadership has endorsed the Kenya Innovation Bridge platform during its Rift Valley Block Launch that was held at the Nakuru Box Premises in Nakuru County.The launch organized by Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA), the Foreign Commonwealth.Development Office (FCDO) in collaboration with @iBizAfrica- Strathmore University and Nakuru Box was aimed at introducing and bringing on board innovators, institutions, and investors onto the platform.
The platform is a marketplace that enables innovators, inventors, researchers and startups to introduce their solutions to partners, funders, customers and users. The goal is to get as many innovations scale by attracting appropriate funding and partnerships.
Nakuru County trade representative, Ms. Veronica Njiiri lauded the efforts of the Agency and the UK Government in developing a platform that would support young people and their innovative ideas.
In her remarks, Ms. Njiiri acknowledged the numerous innovative solutions that the innovators in the region have been working on and she affirmed the Nakuru County Government continuing support to the youth through the Governor, H.E Governor Susan Kihika’s office. She urged the youth in Nakuru County to embrace the opportunity by joining the platform. “Great ideas come from within us, and as the county government we want to ensure we the youth can fully prosper through innovation.” – Veronica Njiiri from the Department of Trade.
The Kenya Innovation bridge which was developed by Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA and funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office – FCDO is aimed at increasing the discoverability of innovations and connecting the existing and emerging innovations in Kenya to a virtual marketplace to provide linkages to investments/partnerships and capacity-building opportunities that could transform the innovations into commercially viable products and businesses thereby contributing to job creation and overall economic growth of the Country.
Representing KeNIA during the Launch George Masila, the Communications and Partnership Lead outlined the numerous projects that KeNIA is currently engaged in and revealed the Agency’s plans to convert the existing youth empowerment centers in all counties into innovation and incubation centers. He emphasized that the Kenya Innovation Bridge will work to bridge the inclusivity gap by ensuring innovators in the whole country get access to funds, partnerships, and customers for their innovations.
“KeNIA with the support of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and The Arts is keen to ensure innovators from all regions of the country get exposure through this platform and for this reason, we will hold regional launches in the Lake and Coastal regions in the coming weeks.” – George Masila, Communication, and Partnership Lead KeNIA
Additionally present at the launch of the platform was the Nakuru Box Founder George Wayne, who commended the initiative by KENIA stating “This is an initiative that will help promote local entrepreneurs as it focuses on the youth as their target users mostly for capacity building, capital boost, and mentorship. It will be impactful to society as it will also create job opportunities as well as give motivation to students and anyone willing to start a business. We will work together as an innovation hub with the partners and implementers to make sure the platform does its due course as the youth is the hope of our future.