By
Ian Omondi
Published on: November 25, 2025 07:07 (EAT)
From left: NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum, Maged Farrag (UBR VR), Peng Chen (HustleSasa), Yewande Akinse (Salubata), Folayemi Agusto (Festival Coins) and NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi at the first “NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator” Demo Day at NBA headquarters in New York in 2024.
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Kenya will once
again have a strong presence on the continental innovation stage after NBA
Africa unveiled the 10 finalists for its second Triple-Double Startup
Accelerator, with two Kenyan companies making the cut.
The finalists, drawn from five African countries, will pitch their ideas at a Demo Day slated
for December 5 at Carnegie Mellon University Africa in Kigali, Rwanda.
The programme, now
in its second year, focuses on elevating early-stage African startups shaping
the future of sports and the creative economy. More than 700 applicants threw
their hats in the ring, but only 10 made it to the final shortlist.
Kenya’s flag will
be flown by ProPath Sports and Safia Health, both promising ventures rooted
deeply in the country’s growing sports tech and wellness ecosystem.
ProPath Sports, a
data-driven talent development company, says it is transforming how young
athletes are discovered and nurtured in Kenya. Its iSTEAM program blends
athletic performance evaluation with holistic talent development – an approach
that aligns with Kenya’s push to professionalize youth sports.
On the wellness
front, Safia Health is building a unified platform that supports athletes with
personalized fitness, recovery and mental wellbeing regimens. For a country
where structured athlete welfare has remained a stubborn gap, the Kenyan
health-tech startup brings a modern, integrated solution to the table.
NBA Africa CEO
Clare Akamanzi described the finalists as proof of a rising wave of African
innovation.
“The quality of
this year’s applications reflects the incredible talent and creativity among
Africa’s young entrepreneurs as well as the important role that the sport and
creative industries are playing in the continent’s development,” said Ms. Akamanzi.
“These startups
represent the bold spirit of innovation rising across the continent – where
creativity meets purpose, and ideas have the power to scale beyond borders.”
Beyond the Kenyan
representatives, the final pool includes startups from Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco
and South Africa working in virtual reality, blockchain-based art investment,
athlete performance analytics, creative collaboration and more.
Five of the ten
will be selected to receive financial support and join CMU-Africa’s 12-month
Business Incubation Program.
Last year, Kenya’s
HustleSasa was among the four prize-winning
companies to receive funding and mentorship during the inaugural edition,
setting a precedent for strong Kenyan participation in the accelerator. The
others were: Festival Coins (Nigeria), Salubata (Nigeria), and UBR VR (Egypt).