A new $500,000 fund targets early-stage African assistive tech startups

Assistive Technologies for Disability Trust (AT4D), a Kenya-based nonprofit focused on advancing assistive technology innovation, has partnered with the Judith Neilson Foundation to launch a $500,000 fund to support early-stage assistive technology startups across Africa. 

The Momentous Pilot Fund will target digital solutions that improve mobility, communication, inclusive education, independent living, and digital accessibility for people with disabilities.

The fund comes at a time when access to assistive technologies across the continent remains low despite a large and growing need. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), nearly 200 million people in Africa require at least one assistive product, yet only one in ten people can access the devices they need. 

Through the Momentous Fund, up to five early-stage African assistive technology ventures will receive tailored support, including catalytic investment, technical assistance, venture-building support, and strategic partnerships designed to help them scale their solutions.

“Early-stage assistive technology innovators across Africa face significant structural barriers to accessing capital,” said Bernard Chiira, CEO of AT4D. “This is the first fund on the continent dedicated to investing in emerging assistive technology start-ups at the early stage. The Momentous Fund allows us to test an investment model that centres lived experience while strengthening the ecosystem required to scale disability innovation across Africa.” 

Beyond supporting individual ventures, the Momentous Fund will also serve as a pilot to test and validate a sustainable, Africa-led assistive technology investment model. Insights from the programme will help inform the design and expansion of a second phase of the fund, to scale disability-focused innovation financing across Africa.

“Many investors still associate disability innovations with charity and donations,” Harry Ochieng, investment manager at AT4D, said. “The Momentous Fund is an opportunity to change that narrative and demonstrate that this sector presents real opportunities for investment, impact, and sustainable returns.”

Founded by Bernard Chiira in 2023, AT4D is a nonprofit that supports the development and scaling of assistive technology startups across Africa. The organisation works with innovators building tools that improve accessibility for people with disabilities, providing accelerator programmes, mentorship, and ecosystem support. 

AT4D runs the Innovate Now accelerator, which has backed startups like Signvrse, a platform that uses AI and 3D avatars to translate speech and text into real-time sign language, the mobility device startup Linccell Technologies, and the edtech platform Village2Nation.