Innovate Now, a Kenya-based accelerator dedicated to assistive technologies, has announced its largest cohort to date, reinforcing a model that prioritizes the involvement of persons with disabilities in product design. This initiative, implemented by the Assistive Technologies for Disability Trust (AT4D), has selected 19 startups that focus on sectors such as speech therapy, mobility, inclusive education, and caregiver support. These areas are experiencing increasing demand, yet locally adapted solutions remain limited. Across Africa, an estimated 200 million people require at least one assistive product, but access to these products is often restricted. High costs, exacerbated by the reliance on imported devices, prevent many users from obtaining necessary tools. Furthermore, products designed outside the continent frequently do not account for local infrastructure, cultural contexts, and maintenance realities.
Innovate Now employs a “Live Labs” model that integrates users directly into the early stages of product development. Individuals with disabilities are invited to test prototypes, identify usability issues, and influence the evolution of products before they reach the market. This approach is deemed crucial in a sector where many tools are developed without adequate input from end users. Bernard Chiira, the founder of AT4D, emphasized the importance of this model, stating, “At Innovate Now, building with persons with disabilities at the centre is not optional; it is essential. It ensures the solutions are not only innovative but truly relevant, accessible, and affordable.”
A recent 72-hour AI for Accessibility hackathon, held from March 5 to 7, brought together developers, university students, and persons with disabilities to collaboratively create solutions. This event resulted in fifteen projects, with ten advancing into incubation alongside nine startups selected through an open call. One notable project is Chacha, an AI-powered platform developed during the hackathon to assist children in improving their speech through real-time feedback and guided exercises. This initiative addresses a significant shortage of speech and language therapy services across Africa. Its founder, Peninah Gituku, noted that the co-creation process significantly influenced the product’s development. “Caregivers helped us see where frustration actually lives in daily routines,” she explained. “That changed how we built Chacha. We’re not replacing speech therapy; we’re designing something that supports it.”
Chacha targets children aged 0 to 8 with mild speech impairments, offering pronunciation feedback and exercises informed by input from both caregivers and therapists. This design choice aims to enhance usability in home environments, where formal therapy is often inaccessible or unaffordable. For participants involved in testing, this process represents a departure from conventional product development cycles. Mary, a caregiver who took part in the program, shared her experience: “The fact that the team asked about my day-to-day reality before writing more code made me feel seen and heard.”
The selected startups will now enter an eight-month incubation phase, during which they will refine their products through mentorship, coaching, and ongoing user testing in collaboration with Kilimanjaro Blind Trust Africa. Since its inception in 2019, Innovate Now has supported 88 assistive technology ventures and engaged over 200 founders across ten cohorts, collectively reaching more than 40,000 users. Approximately 40% of these startups have successfully brought products to market, while 38% have secured funding through grants and awards.
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