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Kenya’s Tech Talent Leads as CBK’s AI Hackathon Showcases Africa’s Rising Innovators

November 11, 2025

2 min read

Kenya, 11 November 2025 - Kenya’s growing dominance in financial technology innovation took center stage this week as the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) unveiled the finalists for its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hackathon 2025, with local startups and institutions leading a multinational field of participants from across Africa.

The hackathon, running from October 14 to November 20, forms part of the broader Afro-Asia FinTech Festival 2025, under the theme “Ethical and Responsible AI in the Financial Sector.”

It aims to inspire developers and entrepreneurs to build trustworthy AI solutions that transform financial services while upholding principles of data privacy, transparency, and accountability.

Out of 15 finalists, 10 are Kenyan-based innovators, reflecting the country’s growing influence in Africa’s fintech landscape.

They include Hesabu AI, BirgenAI, IntegriMlinzi Sentinel, Veritas AI, Wakandi Kenya Ltd, and Pro-Local Edge Ltd, along with research entrants from the Institute of Economic Affairs and United States International University (USIU-Africa).

Other standout participants include AI Security Shield (Nigeria), Asante Tech Group and Dikokraft (Botswana), Futa Financial Services (Namibia), and Binghana (Cameroon), highlighting the event’s multinational participation and growing spirit of continental collaboration.

The hackathon serves as a bridge for Afro-Asian cooperation in fintech innovation, bringing together regulators, investors, and startups to co-create responsible AI applications.

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The Afro-Asia FinTech Festival, jointly organized by the CBK and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, has become a key platform for fostering dialogue between Africa’s fast-growing digital economies and Asia’s mature fintech markets.

By focusing on AI-driven solutions for financial inclusion, fraud prevention, digital identity, climate finance, and regulatory innovation, participants are helping define the next phase of digital transformation in financial services.

The initiative aligns closely with Kenya’s National AI Strategy 2025–2030, which seeks to position the country as a continental hub for ethical and inclusive AI development.

Beyond competition, the CBK views the hackathon as a policy laboratory; an opportunity to gather insights that could guide future regulation of AI in the banking and fintech sectors.

The finalists will showcase their prototypes on November 20 during the Afro-Asia FinTech Festival’s Demo Day in Nairobi, a platform that attracts global investors, policymakers, and industry leaders.

As the festival approaches, all eyes are on the innovators redefining what responsible AI looks like in Africa’s financial landscape and how their work could spark cross-continental partnerships shaping the future of global fintech.