Ai-fluence, the AI-driven Influencer Marketing Platform based in Kenya, emerged as the victor in the 2023 Visa Everywhere Initiative (VEI), Kenyan edition.
The startup has been awarded a cash prize of $20,000 and will now advance to the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA) regional finals.
The winning start-up from the CEMEA Regionals will then proceed to the global finale, scheduled for September in San Francisco.
Among the other winners, Leja secured the audience favourite award, while Ndovu claimed the social impact prize. Both fintech companies received $10,000 each.
The Acting General Manager for East Africa at Visa, Eva Ngigi-Sarwari acknowledged the abundance of solutions presented to tackle present and future commerce challenges in the country.
“Visa takes pride in recognizing these start-ups for their remarkable innovation and deep dedication to making a positive impact in their respective sectors,” Ms Sarwari said.
Over 200 applicants from across the country participated in the competition, each presenting solutions aimed at delivering innovative payment and commerce solutions for consumers and businesses.
Ai-fluence operates as a technology-driven advertising platform that identifies reliable influencers to engage, nurture, and activate the appropriate audience, facilitating customer acquisition and growth for global brands.
The platform capitalizes on the growing creator economy, focusing on enhancing financial literacy, developing payment solutions, and providing tools and resources to bolster the sector.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ai-fluence, Nelson Aseka expressed his excitement over the victory, emphasizing that it not only benefits the firm but the entire continent.
“The company aims to empower young individuals in the creator economy by assisting them in establishing sustainable businesses. Collaboration with Visa will create significant synergies to empower the youth of Africa,” said Mr Aseka.
Mr Aseka expressed his honour at being named this year’s winner of the Kenya edition of the Visa Everywhere Initiative and acknowledged the opportunities the initiative provides for underserved sectors to showcase their solutions.
Leja is a finance management application designed for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, focusing on constructing financial infrastructure for MSMEs.
On the other hand, Ndovu is an embedded wealth management platform aimed at establishing a savings and infrastructure ecosystem.
The CEMEA finals will be streamed live on July 27 on TechCrunch, a prominent online publisher dedicated to the tech industry and the start-up ecosystem.
