NAIROBI, Kenya — A Sh64 million (USD 500,000) pilot fund has been launched in Nairobi to support early-stage African startups developing digital innovations and assistive technologies aimed at improving the lives of persons with disabilities.
The initiative, known as the Momentous Pilot Fund, was unveiled on Thursday through a partnership between the Assistive Technologies for Disability Trust and the Judith Neilson Foundation.
The fund will provide catalytic financing and venture-building support to emerging startups working on technologies that address key challenges facing people with disabilities, including mobility, communication, inclusive education, independent living, and digital accessibility.
Up to five early-stage assistive technology ventures across Africa will receive tailored support under the programme, including technical assistance, strategic partnerships, and investment capital designed to help them scale their innovations.
Bernard Chiira, founder and chief executive officer of Assistive Technologies for Disability Trust, said early-stage innovators in the sector often face significant barriers when seeking investment.
“Early-stage assistive technology innovators across Africa face significant structural barriers to accessing capital,” Chiira said. “This is the first fund on the continent dedicated to investing in emerging assistive technology startups at the early stage.”
He said the initiative will also help test a new investment model that centres the lived experiences of persons with disabilities while strengthening the broader ecosystem needed to scale disability-focused innovations.
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 200 million people in Africa require at least one assistive product, yet access remains severely limited.
Enos Weswa, chairman of the board of trustees at Assistive Technologies for Disability Trust, said only one in ten people who need assistive devices are currently able to obtain them.
“This exposes a systemic gap that continues to limit inclusion, education, employment, and economic participation,” Weswa said.
Experts involved in the initiative say innovations in assistive technology have the potential to transform the disability sector by improving access to education, employment opportunities, and independent living for millions across the continent.
Harry Ochieng, investment manager at the organisation, noted that disability-focused innovations are often wrongly viewed through a charity lens rather than as viable investment opportunities.
“Many investors still associate disability innovations with charity and donations,” Ochieng said. “The Momentous Fund is an opportunity to change that narrative and demonstrate that this sector presents real opportunities for investment, impact, and sustainable returns.”
Beyond financing individual ventures, the pilot programme is also expected to generate insights that will guide the design of a larger second phase of the Momentous Fund.
