Nairobi hub certifies 15 tech and AI firms, eyes Sh26bn
The Nairobi International Financial Centre added 15 firms in one go, weighted toward AI, fintech, and digital assets, as Kenya pitches itself as the continent's financial gateway.
Kenya's Nairobi International Financial Centre has certified 15 new firms in a single move, in a push to position Nairobi as a regulated home for advanced digital finance and artificial intelligence in Africa.
The certified companies are expected to mobilise more than 200 million US dollars, about Sh25.9 billion, and create over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs if the promised activity turns into offices, hires, and operating businesses.
The new cohort leans heavily toward the technologies shaping modern finance. It spans artificial intelligence, fintech, digital payments, digital assets and tokenised securities, carbon and climate finance, insurance, investment management, and capital markets infrastructure.
Among the names in the cohort are the digital asset platform Valor Capital, ReportsAI, Afrex Technologies, and Onfon Mobile, alongside firms such as Bupa Global Insurance, Etica Capital, Giraffe Bioenergy, and Africa First Exchange.
Certification is not just a badge. Firms admitted to the NIFC set up physical offices in Kenya and gain access to state incentives, including tax holidays, in exchange for basing operations in the country.
NIFC Chief Executive Daniel Mainda framed each certification as a vote of confidence in Kenya's regulatory environment and its ambition to build the ecosystem that will define the next generation of finance in Africa.
The context is a country moving deliberately. Established under a 2017 law but slow to start, the NIFC now has dozens of firms on its books after new incentives introduced last year drew fresh interest, and it has signed cooperation agreements with financial centres in Qatar, Kazakhstan, and Morocco.
The clear intent is to make Nairobi a regulated safe harbour for the parts of finance, digital assets and AI-powered services that many markets are still nervous about.
The honest caveat is the one that applies to every investment-target headline: certified commitments are projections, not banked capital. The real measure will be how quickly these firms turn certification into offices, hires, and activity that reaches the wider economy.
FAQ
What did the NIFC announce?
It certified 15 new firms expected to mobilise more than 200 million US dollars, about Sh25.9 billion, and create over 1,000 jobs, weighted toward AI, fintech, and digital assets.
What do certified NIFC firms get?
Certified firms can access state incentives, including tax holidays, in return for setting up physical operations in Kenya.
Sources
For now, the direction is confident, and the concentration of AI and digital-asset firms is a useful signal of where Kenya wants to compete.
Ask MAMBO
Have a plain-English question about this topic? Send it in and we may answer it in a future guide.
Ask a questionRelated reading
BusinessSouth Africa's Debut 4 fund backs AI in the creative economy
South Africa's Debut 4 programme is aimed at 50 young creative-tech entrepreneurs using AI and digital tools, with a focus on rural and peri-urban communities.
BusinessKenya's AI rules mean more than paperwork
Kenya's AI debate is really about confidence: who gets protected, who gets to build, and how much of the future is made locally.
BusinessAI is starting to cut African tech jobs
TechCabal Insights tracked nearly 5,000 disclosed African tech job losses from 2023 to early 2026, with AI now part of some restructuring stories.