Israeli DevTech Delegation to Kenya

Hagit Freud
Mar 26, 2024
4 min read

Updated: May 8

With our numerous programs, colleagues, and partners based around the continent, it's always an exciting time when we have the opportunity to touch down on African soil. This past February, we had the privilege of bringing six Israeli DevTech companies along with us to the 11th Sankalp Africa Summit - as well as accompanying business activities throughout Kenya. The companies that joined us were diverse in their sectors, stages, and experience in the continent, but all shared the common thread of being what we call a DevTech company - for-profit companies with solutions for global development challenges.

Meet the Companies & Representatives

DL Analytics

DL Analytics is an innovative FemTech company developing phone-based AI imaging solutions for cervical cancer screening and management in under-resourced health systems.

Representative: David Levitz, CEO & CTO

Agri-Light

Agri-Light Energy Systems is an Israeli company focused on developing and commercially implementing the most advanced agrivoltaic technology to optimize energy generation and crop cultivation, together in dual land use settings. It is led by a diverse group of renewable energy, precision agriculture, environment and sustainability, and data analytics experts with extensive experience in the above stated fields.

Representative: Elisha Rubin, Co-CEO & Chairman

Rural Senses

Rural Senses combines AI innovation with authentic community voices to MEASURE, MANAGE, and CELEBRATE impact, simply.The company utilizes networks of local data collectors, advanced AIt echnology, and a robust methodology developed at the University of Cambridge. It partners with leading international non-profits that work with vulnerable communities.

Representative: Ngesa Maturu, Senior Partnerships Manage

Avenews

Avenews is a digital platform tailored for agri-SMBs in Africa, aimed at providing crucial access to credit and specialized financial products, including working capital loans and invoice financing. Their mission is to make essential capital readily available, enabling agri-SMBs to thrive and contribute to sustainable development across the continent

Representative: Mumbi Wachiuri, Head of Risk

Tal-Ya

Tal-Ya brings the world a new earth-friendly AgriTech solution that enhances naturally occurring processes in plants while addressing the issues of water shortage, extreme weather conditions, overuse of chemicals, and soil degradation. Tal-Ya's Mirtra is easy to use and brings tremendous added value to farmers, dramatically increasing crop yield, and enabling farmers to harvest more from each tree, faster. Additionally, the use of Tal-Ya’s Mitra saves at least 50% of water, 50% of fertilizer, and functions as an alternative to herbicide (weed-killer).

Representatives: Oded Distel, CEO & Allan Greene, Director of East Africa

ZZapp Malaria

Zzapp Malaria aims to eradicate malaria in Africa- a disease affecting the health and livelihood of hundreds of millions of people. To that end, it developed an AI-based platform that significantly increases effectiveness of large-scale malaria control and elimination operations while dramatically reducing costs.

Representative: Paul Hollwedel, COO

Kenya-Israel Business Seminar

The delegation started off with a B2B seminar put together by our fabulous and collaborative partners, the Israel Economic Mission to Kenya, where we were astounded by the 115 attendees joining from 84 Kenyan companies, looking to hear from the delegates and seek potential routes for collaboration. The event included presentations by all six companies, followed by B2B meetings between the delegates and Kenyan attendees, curated and matched by the Israel Economic Mission to Kenya. The day ended with a cocktail event for more opportunities to network and mingle. This day was a perfect start to the delegation for the representatives joining us, giving them direct exposure to potential partners, as well as an opportunity to present themselves and what they are looking to gain from the trip. We are so grateful for the tremendous effort by the Israel Economic Mission to Kenya to put together such a spirited event, warmly welcoming and introducing Israeli companies to representatives of Kenya’s innovation ecosystem. The delegates left impressed by the event's production quality and business potential, while Kenyan companies expressed interest in future visits to Israel and continuing conversations with many of the delegates.

Sankalp Annual Summit

When the time came to attend the Sankalp Africa Summit, our delegates were rested and ready for the main event. As official partners of the event for the first time, we hosted a booth with the Israel Economic Mission to Kenya where we showcased the companies and their solutions. Participants that came to our booth were able to meet face-to-face with the delegates, as well as access their contact information and read more about them in the catalog we prepared.

In the weeks leading up to Sankalp, the Pears Program team prepared the companies with curated stakeholder mapping to maximize their time at the conference, as well as assistance in accessing potential speaking engagements to heighten their exposure at the conference itself. We were thrilled to watch Elisha Rubin, Executive Chairman and Co-CEO of Agri-Light participate in the Climate Investor Dealroom session, where he pitched for potential investors and got the chance to expand his network and future opportunities in the continent.

Sankalp was an incredible opportunity to expose a handful of startups in our community to Africa’s innovation ecosystem, and vice versa. We are very grateful to Sankalp for welcoming us as official partners, as well as the warm welcome extended to our delegates. We look forward to future summits with Sankalp Forum, Israel Economic Mission to Kenya, and more of Israel’s most cutting-edge DevTech companies.