Twiga Foods Awarded as Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum

Twiga Foods among 100 companies globally awarded as Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum

Twiga Foods Ltd,  a Kenyan based digital business-to-business platform that builds fair and reliable markets for agricultural producers, food manufacturers and retailers through transparency, efficiency and technology was selected among hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum’s “Technology Pioneers”.

An alumnae of Nairobi Garage, Twiga Foods, founded in 2014, has reinvented Africa’s approach to retail, making it less time-consuming and more efficient, by building an end-to-end distribution for fresh and processed food through technology, presenting a convenient and reliable alternative to the current inefficient and expensive farm/factory-to-market processes.

The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers are early to growth-stage companies from around the world that are involved in the design, development and deployment of new technologies and innovations, and are poised to have a significant impact on business and society. Technology Pioneers community is an integral part of the larger Global Innovators community of start-ups at the World Economic Forum.

Lori Systems, which is also a Kenyan firm and is a tech-driven logistics services company also made it to the list and was recognised for seamlessly coordinating haulage across frontier markets.

Other amazing Global Companies who made it to the list include Brazilian logistics company CargoX  (2018), or recognized by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas program (Energy Vault in 2019 and Brightseed and Air Protein in 2020).

Also worth to note is that of the100 companies in the 2020 class, one-fourth are led by female founders.

Following its selection as Technology Pioneer, CEO & Co-Founder, Peter Njonjo of Twiga Foods Ltd will be invited to participate at The World Economic Forum activities, events, and discussions throughout the year.

Twiga Foods will also contribute to The World Economic Forum initiatives over the next two years, working with policymakers and private sector leaders to help define the global agenda on key issues.

“We’re excited to welcome Twiga Foods Ltd to our 20^th cohort of Technology Pioneers,” says Susan Nesbitt, Head of the Global Innovators Community, World Economic Forum. “Twiga Foods and its fellow pioneers are developing cutting edge technologies all over the world. Beyond their innovations, these firms are contributing greatly to improving the state of the world.”

“It’s great to be acknowledged as a pioneer by The World Economic Forum”, said Twiga Foods’ CEO & Co-Founder, Peter Njonjo. “We want to be a one-stop-shop for informal retail through technology in Africa. This recognition is a great endorsement to our strategic direction as we continue executing our mission of feeding and supplying Africa’s growing urban population with traceable, quality and affordable products.”

This year’s cohort selection marks the 20^th anniversary of the Tech Pioneers community. Throughout its 20-year run, many Technology Pioneers have continuously contributed to advancement in their industries while some have even gone on to become household names. Past recipients include Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Palantir Technologies, Spotify, TransferWise, Twitter and Wikimedia.

2020 Tech Pioneer firms are shaping the future by advancing technologies such as AI, IoT, robotics, blockchain, biotechnology and many more. The diversity of these companies extends to their leadership as well, as over 25% of 2020 Tech Pioneers are female-led. The firms also come from regions all around the world, extending their community far beyond Silicon Valley. The full list of Technology Pioneers can be found here.

Technology Pioneers have been selected based on the community’s selection criteria, which includes innovation, impact and leadership as well as the company’s relevance with The World Economic Forum’s Platforms.