In an exciting culmination of the Visa Everywhere Initiative (VEI), AIfluence, Africa’s first AI-driven Influencer Marketing Platform, has emerged as the winner of the Kenya edition of the global innovation program and competition. The VEI program aims to provide start-ups and fintech companies with a platform to showcase their groundbreaking solutions and unlock new opportunities.
AIfluence was awarded a monetary prize of $20,000 USD and now progresses to the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA) regional finals. The victorious start-up at the CEMEA Regionals will then have the chance to participate in the global finale, scheduled to take place in September in San Francisco.
The VEI competition in Kenya attracted over 200 applicants from across the country, all of whom presented innovative payment and commerce solutions catering to the needs of consumers and businesses.
AIfluence stood out from the competition with its technology-driven advertising platform that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to identify trusted voices and engage the right audience. The platform has a strong focus on nurturing and activating the audience to accelerate customer acquisition and growth for global brands.
“We are delighted to announce the winners of the Visa Everywhere Initiative Kenya competition. This competition has demonstrated the wealth of solutions that exist to solve our country’s current and future commerce challenges. We are proud to recognize these start-ups who have exhibited remarkable innovation and a deep commitment to making a positive impact in their sectors,” expressed Eva Ngigi-Sarwari, Acting General Manager for East Africa at Visa.
The Visa Everywhere Initiative not only serves as a competition but also acts as a program that connects start-ups with Visa’s global network of partners. This network allows Visa teams from around the world to access innovative solutions when seeking answers to their challenges.
Other Winners:
The Kenya edition of the VEI competition also honored two other winners. Leja, a finance management app for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), won the audience favorite award. On the other hand, Ndovu, an embedded wealth management platform focused on building a savings and infrastructure ecosystem, received the social impact prize. Both Leja and Ndovu were rewarded with a monetary prize of $10,000 USD each.
Commenting on their victory, Nelson Aseka, CEO of AIfluence, said, “This is not only a win for AIfluence but a win for the continent. We are looking to empower the young people in the creator economy by helping them build sustainable businesses, and collaborating with Visa will provide tremendous synergies that will empower the youth of this continent. The Visa Everywhere Initiative has provided opportunities for those of us in underserved sectors to showcase our solutions, and it is an honor to be this year’s winner of the Kenya edition.”
CEMEA Finals:
The upcoming CEMEA finals will take place on July 27 and will be livestreamed on TechCrunch, a prominent online publisher focused on the tech industry and the start-up ecosystem. The event promises to be a thrilling showcase of innovation and will determine the start-up that will represent the region in the global finale.
