East Africa is home to a boisterous economy that’s fast-growing under the influence of technological advancement. Following trends in other sectors, technology is rewriting the methods of property construction, management, and investment in the region.
The rise of prop-tech startups is reshaping the way people buy, sell, manage, and invest in real estate across the region. From streamlined property transactions to innovative investment platforms, these East African prop-tech pioneers harness technology to drive efficiency, transparency, and accessibility in the real estate sector.
Here, we’ve identified 12 remarkable East African prop-tech startups at the forefront, transforming property management and investment in the region.
Kubik
Year Founded: 2021
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Kubik is a revolutionary company redefining construction and building technology with a focus on efficiency and sustainability. The startup pioneers sustainable construction practices by turning plastic waste into low-carbon buildings. Through this innovative approach, it provides affordable housing for clients while simultaneously providing effective waste management solutions for the community.
The company’s distinctive value proposition lies in its innovative repurposing of hard-to-recycle plastic waste into low-carbon, resilient, cost-effective building materials. As such, the company provides environment-conserving construction materials for clients at affordable prices.
By repurposing plastic waste, Kubik is reshaping the construction landscape while driving environmental preservation. Environmentally, the company contributes to waste reduction and resource conservation. By demonstrating the feasibility and advantages of using recycled plastics, Kubik sets a precedent for environmentally conscious building practices.
Jumba
Year Founded: 2022
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Jumba is a dynamic construction tech startup committed to streamlining property and real estate development processes in East Africa. The company provides seamless inventory procurement and management solutions for construction materials retailers and real estate developers in Kenya.
Jumba operates a B2B marketplace platform for real estate developers to access materials for their projects easily. The platform also helps retailers source inventory for their business operations. Essentially, the company’s solutions make construction materials readily available and accessible to those who need them.
Jumba’s innovative approach is improving the efficiency of construction operations, ensuring timely access to materials while reducing waste and optimizing resources for its diverse clientele. Through its innovative technology, Jumba is catalyzing progress in the construction landscape of East Africa.
AlphabloQ
Year Founded: 2022
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
AphabloQ is an innovative prop-tech company revolutionizing real estate investment and ownership in East Africa. The startup utilizes advanced technology to simplify and streamline asset investment for individual and corporate investors in Africa.
AlphabloQ has deployed an innovative blockchain-powered solution that allows investors to own fractions of real estate assets through tokenization. This innovative approach enhances liquidity and reduces entry barriers to the industry. The company’s solution makes real estate investment accessible to a broader range of people.
AlphabloQ’s innovative approach democratizes access to real estate by offering a platform that facilitates fractional ownership of properties. It bridges the gap between traditional real estate investing and the blockchain ecosystem, creating a seamless and trustworthy environment for property investment through the use of tokens.
ConDigital
Year Founded: 2019
Location: Addis Ababa
ConDigital is a pioneering technology company developing game-changing solutions for real estate and construction operations. The startup provides innovative management systems for construction companies, helping them enhance their productivity and resource utilization.
ConDigital operates a Cloud Management solution tailored for construction projects. This platform equips users with many features, including automated reporting, progress tracking, financial management, and advanced analytics. Using this comprehensive suite of tools, users can efficiently manage construction projects while maximizing resources and effort input.
ConDigital’s advanced digital tools significantly reduce manual workload, enhance data accuracy, and facilitate proactive decision-making. As a result, it assists construction engineers in executing projects with greater precision, minimizing costly setbacks, and maximizing resource utilization.
Estate Ridge
Year Founded: 2022
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Estate Ridge is an innovative company dedicated to helping individuals and corporations make smarter real estate investment decisions. The startup designs solutions to assist people in identifying and easily investing in high-value assets with the most promising returns on investment potential.
Estate Ridge operates a real estate listing and brokerage platform offering a comprehensive range of residential and commercial property services to buyers, sellers, renters, and landlords. There, people can easily find different categories of real estate assets with accurate information on their status and value.
Estate Ridge solutions are developed on the premise that real estate decisions carry significant implications and that people need the correct information, tools, and resources to make intelligent investments. As such, the company is dedicated to helping people pick the right properties, whether they are looking for a new home, an office space, a retail property, or an industrial facility.
M-Jenzi
Year Founded: 2020
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
M-Jenzi is a revolutionary digital construction and home appliances retailer providing people easy access to property and building supplies. The company leverages digital technology to help people easily find and purchase real estate development supplies online.
M-Jenzi operates a digital showroom where it advertises construction and home improvement items. The platform also serves as a repository for other vendors to portray their products. Essentially, M-Jenzi operates an ecommerce marketplace for construction supplies.
M-Jenzi aims to make construction and home improvement products easily accessible to all people regardless of their location, budget, or other limitations. Through its user-friendly and intuitive online showroom, people can easily find product options that fit their budget and can circumnavigate the strenuous construction inventory sourcing and procurement process.
Silqu
Year Founded: 2020
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Silqu is a leading property management company designing innovative real estate asset administration methods in East Africa. The startup’s innovative solutions help to streamline and simplify property management for landlords and administrators.
Silk operates an intuitive cloud-based property management software that simplifies asset administration tasks through automation. The platform enables efficient rent collection, streamlined billing processes, and comprehensive record-keeping.
Silqu’s platform enhances operational efficiency and empowers customers with real-time property analytics and notifications. That way, it delivers a seamless property management experience that is accessible anytime and anywhere. Landlords and property managers benefit from streamlined processes, reduced administrative workloads, and improved financial transparency through Silqu’s solutions.
Hodhi Inc
Year Founded: 2020
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Hodhi is an innovative real estate exchange facilitator redefining real estate sales and transfer processes in Africa. The company develops solutions to connect real estate asset sellers to interested buyers across Africa and North America.
Hodhi operates a digital real estate exchange that connects sellers to buyers and facilitates easy transactions between them. The platform empowers buyers and sellers to navigate property transactions with ease and confidence. Its secure framework ensures the safety of financial transactions and sensitive information, instilling trust and credibility in the process.
Hodhi’s innovative approach bridges geographical and financial gaps, making property ownership more accessible and seamless across Africa. By offering a digital platform that transcends traditional limitations, Hodhi empowers a broader range of people to engage in real estate transactions.
Bongalo
Year Founded: 2017
Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Bongalo is an innovative prop-tech company redefining vacation experiences for travellers and tourists in East Africa. The company helps travellers secure affordable, comfortable, and convenient accommodations for their vacations and trips in Rwanda.
Bongalo combines tech and travel expertise to provide a range of accommodation services for travellers. Operating a model akin to Airbnb, the company exposes vacationers to accommodation options that suit their requirements. Bungalow facilitates these services through a digital platform where clients can find and rent short-stay apartments for their vacation duration.
Bongalo empowers travellers to experience Africa’s rich cultural tapestry while enjoying comfortable and convenient lodging by offering a range of short-stay rooms in apartments and entire apartments. Additionally, the company’s emphasis on local engagement bolsters the economies of host communities, enabling residents to participate in and benefit from the tourism and hospitality industry.
Rentscore
Year Founded: 2022
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Rentscore is an innovative prop-tech company helping people fulfil their dreams of owning real estate properties. The company helps underbanked individuals secure mortgage financing to purchase and own homes in Kenya.
Rentscore’s unique value is its innovative approach to making affordable housing and finance accessible to individuals who may not have proper credit histories. Rentscore employs an innovative approach that evaluates individuals based on their rental history and financial behaviours. Thus, it sets up individuals to be creditworthy for mortgage financing.
After that, it connects the individuals to a pool of selected financial institutions for affordable mortgages and partners with developers to build affordable homes for its clients.
RentScore’s approach makes affordable housing more attainable and addresses financial inclusion by providing opportunities for underbanked individuals to enter the formal financial system. Through its services, RentScore fosters a supportive ecosystem that encourages affordable housing initiatives.
Kiotapay
Year Founded: 2021
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Kiotapay is a leading IT and software development company revolutionizing property management methods in Africa. The startup develops innovative solutions to assist landlords and property administrators in managing their assets.
Kiotapay operates a digital platform that automates property management processes and tasks. The platform enables real estate businesses to collect, attribute, and reconcile payments. It also bridges the gap between real estate demand and supply by connecting buyers to sellers.
Essentially, Kiotapay’s solution is an end-to-end property management platform for automating payments, billing, collections, communication, expense management, sales, inventory, and other real estate processes.
Through its digital solution, the company increases efficiency for property owners and managers. It streamlines processes and maximizes resource utilization.
14Trees
Year Founded: 2016
Location: Lilongwe, Malawi
14Trees is a LafargeHolcim and CDC Group joint venture dedicated to accelerating the provision of affordable housing in Africa. The company takes an innovative approach to developing affordable green housing solutions for Africans.
14Trees’ innovative housing solutions incorporate 3D printing technology for developing construction materials. Put simply, the company 3D prints buildings, including homes, schools, and other structures.
14Trees’ construction approach is not only affordable, but it also fosters sustainability and environmental conservation. The company develops homes, schools, and similar building structures using cheap, low-carbon inputs. Through its innovative methods, 14Trees contributes to the delivery of social infrastructure, affordable houses, schools, and workplaces that improve well-being, support livelihoods, and bring people together.
