Safaricom has announced the selection of 10 startups as finalists for the second cohort of the Spark Accelerator Program. The telecommunications giant chose these startups from a competitive pool of more than 200 applicants.
The selected startups will participate in an intensive three-month program designed to accelerate their growth and position them for long-term success. The finalists are Mediakits.Io, WePlay Arcade, GoPay, FlexPay, QuePay, Leta.AI, Oye, DigiTax, Incourage Insurance Agency Limited, and StockApp.
A Dual-Track Approach to Startup Growth
The Spark Accelerator combines training, mentorship, funding, and go-to-market support through two distinct tracks.
The iHUB-led Track offers a structured curriculum that includes expert-led workshops, advisory sessions, and dedicated mentorship. This track focuses on building foundational skills and strategic thinking for sustainable growth.
The Corporate Engagement Track provides startups with direct access to Safaricom and M-PESA Africa’s commercial and technical teams. Participants also gain entry to distribution networks that can fast-track their scale and integration into existing ecosystems.
The selected startups operate across strategic sectors including Embedded Finance, Creative Economy, Future Fintech, and SME Productivity Tools. These areas align with Safaricom’s broader innovation and impact agenda.
Transforming Lives Through Innovation
Dr. Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom, emphasized the company’s commitment to nurturing viable tech startups. “As part of our commitment to our purpose of transforming lives, we aim to Nurture, Grow and Scale commercially viable tech start-ups that drive positive societal impact,” he said.
He added that Safaricom has broadened its scope of support to early-stage startups. The support now includes technology and product development assistance, access to market opportunities, and access to capital.
The three-month acceleration program will culminate in a high-impact investor Demo Day scheduled for February 2026. During this event, startups will pitch to leading venture capital funds and potential investors. Following Demo Day, participants will receive nine to twelve months of post-acceleration support.
A Strategic Partnership Model
The Spark Accelerator operates as a corporate accelerator powered by a strategic partnership between Safaricom, M-PESA Africa, and Sumitomo Corporation. The program is implemented by iHUB, with additional support from Vodacom, PwC, and AWS.
Ojoma Ochai, Managing Director of iHUB and Co-creation HUB, highlighted the importance of corporate accelerators in Africa’s innovation landscape. “Africa’s innovation and creative ecosystems need financing models that go beyond the current traditional financing sources,” she explained.
“Corporate accelerators play a vital role by bringing the resources, infrastructure, and market access of established companies into direct partnership with startups. This approach strengthens the capacity of ventures to scale and creates new pathways for sustainable growth and resilience across the continent.”
Proven Success from Cohort One
The first cohort demonstrated the program’s effectiveness in equipping startups with critical resources. Several success stories emerged from the inaugural group.
Twiva partnered with Safaricom Hook to onboard more than 11,000 influencers onto their platform. Chpter expanded its AI-powered platform into South Africa and Nigeria, demonstrating cross-border scalability.
HealthX Africa grew its subscriber base by 40% in just six months and went live on the M-PESA consumer miniApps. This growth reflects rising demand for hybrid healthcare solutions. Chumz reached over 300,000 users by leveraging gamification to influence positive savings behavior and successfully expanded into Rwanda.
BlackRhino’s partnership with Safaricom’s Brand team earned recognition at the 2024 Marketing Society of Kenya awards, winning Best Emerging Technology in Marketing campaign. Safaricom continues to explore commercial partnership opportunities with all Cohort I startups.
These success stories demonstrate the tangible outcomes of the Spark Accelerator and its growing role as a launchpad for African innovation with global relevance.
Technical Resources and Market Access
Startups in the second cohort will benefit from Safaricom’s technology assets, including Daraja and M-PESA Africa Open APIs. They will also receive hands-on product development and integration support that can accelerate their ability to build, test, and scale impactful solutions across markets.
Through iHUB’s Pan-African innovation network, startups gain access to a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, experts, and ecosystem enablers. This network creates opportunities for cross-border collaboration, market entry, and knowledge exchange.
AWS provides support through AWS Activate Credits, equipping startups with critical infrastructure and cloud resources to scale efficiently and sustainably. This combination of corporate tools, community support, and technical resources is designed to accelerate each startup’s path to scale and long-term resilience.
The Spark Accelerator represents a growing model of corporate-startup collaboration in Africa. By combining market access, technical infrastructure, and strategic mentorship, programs like this create pathways for African startups to compete on a global stage.
