StartupEast aims to spot East Africa’s next wave of young companies
Zoyols News reports that TechMoran, a long running African startups and technology news house, is rolling out StartupEast Conference and Awards, a platform meant to find East Africa’s early stage startups and put them in front of investors, customers and strategic partners.
Nominations are now open and the effort will close with the StartupEast Conference and Awards on 3 December 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya. Startups based in or working across East Africa may enter no matter where the founders come from, so long as they have raised less than $2 million and are less than eight years old. Entries go through TechMoran.com/Nominations.
The hunt is for teams still early in the journey, with a prototype, a minimum viable product, first customers or other early signs of traction. Interest runs across artificial intelligence, fintech, health technology, agriculture, climate technology, enterprise software, commerce, logistics, mobility and education.
We are looking for startups that are still early enough to surprise the market, said Sam Wakoba, co founder of TechMoran. There are founders building real businesses, solving difficult problems and winning their first customers without the glare that follows a large funding round. From an investor and mentor’s seat, that is often where the most interesting chances sit.
After nominations come a shortlist and a public vote. Finalists will be named at the December gathering in Nairobi. StartupEast is framing itself less as a usual awards night and more as a way to discover companies that could grow into serious businesses.
We are deliberately looking beyond the pitch deck, Wakoba said. We want to understand the founder, the problem, the product, early traction, the size of the chance and whether the business can scale.
That pitch lands as Kenya and the wider East African startup scene still draw founders and money, even as funding grows choosier. For young companies, time with investors now hangs on networks, proof of demand and a clear path to grow. The nomination and selection work is meant to fill a pipeline before December, when startups will sit with venture funds, angels, corporates, technology firms and possible buyers.
The awards are the end of a much wider search, Wakoba said. StartupEast is about putting those companies in the light early and giving the ecosystem a say in who is worth backing.
Kenya’s technology scene is still called Silicon Savannah, a name earned by firms that remade mobile payments, financial services, commerce and more. StartupEast is betting another crop is rising under the better known names. The Silicon Savannah story is still being written, Wakoba said. We have already seen what Kenyan founders can build, but the next generation will come from places that may not yet be obvious.
December will name Startup of the Year, Most Promising Startup, Founder of the Year and sector honours covering AI, fintech, health technology, agritech, climate technology and enterprise technology. For Wakoba, the plaque is not the point. We don’t want this to be about trophies, he said. Recognition matters when it opens a door. For an early stage startup, the right investor, a first enterprise customer, a strategic partner or strong talent can be worth far more than an award.
Nominations are live at TechMoran.com/Nominations. StartupEast Conference and Awards 2026 is set for 3 December in Nairobi.
