A four-day ACCESS Boot Camp, led by ACCESS Coordinator, Dr, Henry Yatich, held from October 19th-24, 2025, at Mavvel Hotel, brought together student innovators from various universities to develop and pitch tech-based solutions for critical market and social challenges facing Kenya. The camp, which featured mentorship on problem validation, business models, and pitching, culminated in a competitive showcase where 10 top ideas were selected to receive further support, including a planned visit to Konzacity on 31st October 2025.
The boot camp aimed to help student innovators formalize their research and tackle issues from financial access and agricultural efficiency to public health and trade. Guest speakers, including Davis Waithaka (CEO of ELIMU Limited and Head of KEPSA) and various university lecturers, provided sessions on problem identification, design thinking, sustainable business models (like the Lean Canvas), and effective presentation techniques.
Top 10 Key Innovations and Top Winners
Students presented numerous AI-powered and digital solutions, primarily focused on supporting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and local communities.
Here are the top 10 winning innovations:
| Rank | Innovation Name | Innovator (University) | Problem Solved & Solution |
| 1 | Respiramate | Margaret Njonjo (Kabarak University) | Addresses improper inhaler use, delayed action during attacks, and unpredictable triggers for over 339 million asthma sufferers globally. The solution uses a smart inhaler shell and a wearable device with sensors to detect factors leading to an attack, providing mobile app notifications |
| 2 | Safemile | Moses Majengo (Zetech University) | Monitors vehicle behaviour to detect accidents and loss of MSME business properties. It uses GPS, GSM, and an impact sensor to send instant alerts with location to emergency contacts, ensuring faster rescue and compensation. |
| 3 | Mo-Connect | Mohamud Abdi (Mount Kenya University) | Solves market inefficiencies and high travel costs for pastoralist communities trading livestock in ASAL regions. It is a hybrid trading platform (USSD, SMS, and app) that uses Community Market Agents to facilitate verified listings and reduce unnecessary transport. |
| 4 | Tembea 360 | Oliver Jackson Victor (Mount Kenya University) | Counters revenue loss for Kenyan Tourism MSMEs that rely on high-commission foreign platforms. It connects tourists to verified local businesses via a secure, low-commission platform with M-Pesa integration, an AI travel planner, and a craft marketplace. |
| 5 | Lima Bora | Barney Nyaboke (Riara University) | A technological solution to help farmers deal with problems affecting their crops, likely leveraging AI. |
| 6 | Chama Smart | Ashley Tsuma & Eunice Omuhindi (Mount Kenya University) | A mobile-first platform to revolutionize how informal savings groups (chamas) save, plan, and grow. It addresses lack of transparency, poor record-keeping, and governance issues using AI for better analytics. |
| 7 | Smart Dairy | Denis Ng’ang’a (Tharaka University) | Addresses low milk yield and high food costs for smallholder dairy farmers. The solution uses AI personalized feeds to boost yield potential and local feed mix to cut costs, supported by a bilingual chat box. |
| 8 | Campus Hub | Francis Auka (Machakos University) | Solves the problem of MSMEs lacking affordable skilled support. The solution connects students with MSMEs for real projects and internships. |
| 9 | Tiba Connect | Bradley Lusalenge (Strathmore University) | A web-based application connecting patients to nearby pharmacies. It aims to solve the struggle patients face finding prescribed medicine and pharmacies facing unpredictable stock patterns, using AI-Powered analytics to predict demand. |
| 10 | Genzeal | Fanuel Kiprono & Ngui Stephene (Karatina University) | Helps 7 million Kenyan MSMEs overcome market uncertainty and the fear of innovation. It provides certainty by turning market research into “GenZ-like platforms” (e.g., TikTok) before production. |
Other highly-rated ideas included Lima Bora (AI crop problem solver), Tembea 360 (low-commission platform for tourism MSMEs), and Campus Hub (connecting students for MSME internships/projects).
Mentors from KEPSA, ACTs, Dedan Kimathi University Enterprises (DEKuTes), ASSEK and I Choose Life Africa, emphasized the need for innovators to simplify complex problems, start their pitches with compelling personal stories, and clearly define their target customers and business models. Guest speakers challenged the students to not only target the local market but also think internationally and be prepared to take their innovations beyond Kenya.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Mount Kenya University (Dr. Mercyline Kamande) closed the event by congratulating participants and urging them to embrace technology and maintain consistency, noting that the presentations should serve as a cornerstone for future great steps. She further appreciated the local affiliate coordinators present during the bootcamp, from Kabarak University, Karatina University, Zetech, Machakos, Kenyatta University, Tharaka University, Daystar, Technical University of Kenya,
The ACCESS Boot Camp wasn’t just about competition; it was a four-day deep dive into the practical skills necessary to turn an innovative idea into a viable business. Guest speakers and judges provided extensive feedback focusing on refining the innovators’ approach and execution.
Mentors consistently stressed the need for precision and clarity in the foundational business plan:
- Problem Identification: Innovators were challenged to be extremely clear on the problem they were solving. They were advised to focus on one problem and one solution.
- Target Market: Students needed to clearly define their target market and customer, identify the market size , and think about taking their innovation beyond Kenya.
- Business Model: Innovators were guided on the Business Model Canvas (BMC), specifically the simplified Lean Canvas, which focuses on the market. They were urged to integrate sustainability into their BMC.
- Monetization: Students were asked to clarify how farmers or customers would pay and how to design an ethical revenue model.
Mastering the Pitch:
The ability to pitch the idea effectively was paramount, with judges offering several critical presentation tips:
- Start with a Story: A key piece of advice was to begin with a personal or captivating story about the problem.
- Visuals and Clarity: Presenters were encouraged to be visual by using graphics, data, and clear pictorials. They were also told to avoid jargon without clarity.
- Focus and Uniqueness: Presenters needed to be unique and give clarity on their uniqueness because of existing competition.
- Professionalism: Students were reminded to be mindful of how they dress during presentations, as first impressions are very important.
Future Outlook:
The judges highlighted promising ideas, with several innovators being noted for their clear problem and solution and strong potential. Several top students were promised links and connections to organizations or individuals working closely in their respective fields, such as the innovator of RESPIRAMATE, SAFEMILE (to KENHA), and the high-calorie biscuits idea.
The overall feedback challenged all 30 participants to view the presentations as a cornerstone of the great steps to take in the future , encouraging them to keep working on their ideas even if they didn’t win and leverage innovation and incubation centres in at the home universities.
