In Africa’s race to scale innovation, few platforms are proving as catalytic as Safaricom’s Spark Accelerator.
The programme welcomed its second cohort that includes 10 standout startups chosen from more than 200 hopefuls, each expected to disrupt industries from fintech to logistics.
This diverse group spanning embedded finance, the creative economy, future fintech, and SME productivity tools kicks off a gruelling yet transformative three-month intensive today.
But with Cohort 1 already delivering tangible wins, the burning question on every investor’s mind is: Can this fresh batch take on the trailblazers who came before?
As Safaricom CEO Dr. Peter Ndegwa put it during the announcement, “We’re nurturing commercially viable tech startups for positive societal change, broadening support to early-stage gems with market access, tech integration, and capital pathways.”
Backed by heavyweights like M-PESA Africa, Sumitomo Corporation, iHub (the implementing partner), Vodacom, PwC, and AWS, Spark isn’t just mentorship; it’s a full-throttle scaling machine.
The programme wraps with a high-stakes Investor Demo Day in February 2026, where these ventures will pitch to a room full of deep-pocketed backers.
Cohort 1: Setting the Bar High
Launched in May 2024, Spark’s inaugural cohort was a lean, mean operation: nine Kenyan startups handpicked to test the waters in embedded finance, future fintech, SME tools, and creative economy plays.
The lineup included:
| Startup | Focus Area | Quick Pitch |
|---|---|---|
| Chumz | Embedded Finance | Mobile money + gamification for community savings. |
| Chpter | Future Fintech | AI-driven personal finance management. |
| Faidi HR | SME Tools | Cloud payroll and HR platform for businesses. |
| HealthX Africa | Future Fintech | Health-focused fintech for accessible care. |
| Churpy | SME Tools | Automation for repetitive office tasks. |
| Vuna Pay | Embedded Finance | Proximity payments for underserved markets. |
| Twiva | Creative Economy | Social commerce leveraging influencers and social media. |
| Black Rhino VR | Creative Economy | Immersive VR experiences for education and entertainment. |
| Nobuk Africa | Future Fintech | Blockchain-based wealth management. |
These pioneers dove into workshops, one-on-one mentorship from Safaricom and M-PESA execs, and hands-on access to APIs like Daraja and M-PESA Open tools that unlocked rapid prototyping and market testing.
By their Demo Day on March 21, 2025, the cohort had already registered early victories: Twiva inked a partnership with Safaricom’s Hook platform, onboarding over 1,000 merchants in months and scaling user acquisition through social channels.
Faidi HR called the experience “transformative”, crediting it with streamlining their operations and attracting seed funding.
Broader impacts? Cohort 1 startups like Chumz and Nobuk tapped into behavioural insights from Safaricom’s vast customer base, refining products that now serve thousands.
One alum, Soko Fresh (via related Spark Fund II), secured investments that fuelled farmer partnerships through DigiFarm, amplifying rural economic inclusion.
In short, Cohort 1 proved Spark’s model: 100% of participants reported accelerated growth, with several landing follow-on funding post-Demo Day.
It wasn’t flawless; early-stage hiccups like API integration delays surfaced but it laid a blueprint for scalable impact.
Cohort 2: A Bigger, Bolder Leap
Fast-forward to today, and Spark 2.0 feels evolved. From 200+ applicants (a 20% jump from Cohort 1’s pool), 10 startups emerged, blending grit with cutting-edge ambition. Here’s the dream team:
| Startup | Focus Area | Quick Pitch |
|---|---|---|
| Mediakits.io | Creative Economy | Tools for creators to monetize digital content. |
| WePlay Arcade | Creative Economy | Gaming platform for immersive, social experiences. |
| GoPay | Embedded Finance | Seamless agency banking via mobile. |
| FlexPay | Future Fintech | Flexible lending for SMEs with AI credit scoring. |
| QuePay | Future Fintech | Queue management and proximity payments. |
| Leta AI | SME Tools | AI-driven inventory and supply chain optimization. |
| Oye | Creative Economy | Live event ticketing and immersive tech. |
| DigiTax | SME Tools | Automated tax compliance for small businesses. |
| Incurage Insurance Agency Limited | Future Fintech | Embedded insurance for underserved segments. |
| StockApp | SME Tools | AI retail solutions for Africa’s mom-and-pop shops. |
What sets this group apart? Diversity in stages: some pre-seed, others with MVPs and a sharper alignment with Africa’s pain points, like AI for fraud detection in fintech or creator economy enablers amid rising digital ad spends.
StockApp’s CEO, Ken Gitonga, tweeted his excitement this week: “A new chapter as we keep building the AI-powered retail solution for Africa’s small businesses. ”
The programme, running from September through November 2025, strengthens up iHub’s workshops with deeper M-PESA integrations and AWS cloud credits, addressing Cohort 1 feedback on tech access.
READ ALSO:M-PESA Announces Nine Early-Stage Kenyan Startups for its Spark Accelerator Programme
The Verdict: Outshine? Absolutely. Here’s Why
Cohort 1 was the proof-of-concept; Cohort 2 is the scaled prototype. With a larger applicant pool signalling hotter demand, refined timelines (shortlisting wrapped by July 2025), and a battle-tested curriculum, these 10 are primed for outsized wins.
Challenges remain, including economic challenges in Kenya, like inflation eating away at SME budgets, which could test resilience.
Yet, Spark’s ecosystem (market intros via Safaricom’s 40M+ users, capital via Demo Day) mitigates that. If even half secure funding like their predecessors, we’re talking millions in deployed capital and jobs created.
Is Spark the rocket fuel for Africa’s unicorns? Early signs scream yes. As Ndegwa envisions, these “early-stage gems” aren’t just surviving; they’re reshaping finance and creativity for millions.
Watch February 2026: If Cohort 2 demos half as fiercely as Cohort 1 shone, they’ll not just outshine; they’ll redefine the accelerator game. Stay tuned; Nairobi’s innovation fire is just getting lit.
Spark Fund & Safaricom Foundation Accelerator 2025
The Apache Spark Accelerator has inspired many innovation hubs globally, and in Kenya, programmes like the Mpesa Accelerator program and the Safaricom Foundation Spark Accelerator 2025 are taking the lead in nurturing startups.
As part of the growing ecosystem of startup accelerators in Kenya, the initiative provides funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities through the Spark Fund.
Entrepreneurs interested in the Safaricom Foundation Spark Accelerator 2025 Kenya should stay updated on the Safaricom Foundation Spark Accelerator 2025 deadline to ensure they don’t miss the chance to apply.
Ronnie Paul is a seasoned writer and analyst with a prolific portfolio of over 1,000 published articles, specialising in fintech, cryptocurrency, climate change, and digital finance at Africa Digest News.
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