Ten startups have been selected for the final pitch competition at the Latitude59 Kenya Edition 2025, out of over 200 applications from 27 countries. These finalists will present their innovative solutions from December 3 to 5, 2025, at the A.S.K Dome in Nairobi.

• Over 200 applications were received from 27 countries for the competition.
• Triin Ilves, Head of Startup Relations at Latitude59, highlighted the remarkable execution and global ambition of the selected teams.
• Speakers at the event include Taavi Kotka, an architect of Estonia's digital transformation, and Dr. Myriam Sidibé, a global leader in public health and social impact.

Samsung Electronics East Africa has partnered with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) to launch the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC). This initiative aims to address Kenya's significant AI skills gap by training 80 students annually in AI, IoT, and Big Data.

• The program mandates that 50% of beneficiaries must be women, aiming to bridge the gender gap in engineering.
• Only 23.8% of Kenyan households use the internet, and a mere 10.7% own a computer, highlighting a significant digital divide.
• The SIC includes a Training of Trainers (ToT) component, ensuring JKUAT faculty can independently deliver the curriculum.

FSD Africa has launched a $30 million Insurtech Fund (3iF) to invest in early-stage insurtech startups across Africa, aiming to boost inclusive insurance for underserved populations. The initiative also includes a new regulatory toolkit to streamline approvals and encourage innovation.

• The 3iF will primarily target startups focusing on climate resilience, health, and financial inclusion, building on the success of the BimaLab Accelerator Programme, which has supported over 135 startups in 28 African countries.
• The fund adopts a blended structure with junior equity from FSD Africa Investments and senior equity from investors like Zep Re.
• FSD Africa also released a Regulatory Sandbox Eligibility Assessment Toolkit to help African regulators assess new insurtech models, strengthening regulatory readiness and expanding access to affordable risk protection.
• Turaco, a Kenyan micro-insurer, showcased how BimaLab supported its expansion, now insuring over one million customers and processing more than twenty thousand claims across Nigeria, Uganda, and Ghana.