Estonia has opened its regional offices in Nairobi, Kenya, intending to attract public and private sector investments in the country and East Africa.
The move by Enterprise Estonia is expected to help the country invest in sectors such as agri-produce value addition, information technologies, and wastewater management.
The new office will also work towards improving the export access of Kenyan produce to European markets.
In an event held in Nairobi, eight Estonian companies in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector announced their plans to venture into the Kenyan market. These companies include Cybernetica, Nortal, Alldevice, Digital Nation, FOB Solutions, Finbite OÜ, Wisercat Software, and ADM Interactive.
The companies offer a range of solutions, including industrial maintenance management software, digital advisory services, front-office solutions, digital transformation services, billing and invoice management solutions, business automation, electronic document management systems, and specialized applications.
The Estonian firms are not looking to edge out local companies in the ICT space. Instead, they plan to work with local counterparts to identify business opportunities and provide solutions to local problems.
Estonia’s Ambassador at large- Africa, Daniel Schaer, said, “Enterprise Estonia is an Estonian institution whose goal is to support Estonian enterprises to do business across the world as well as attract foreign
investment to Estonia.”
He added, “These Estonian companies are experts in developing seamless digital public services that have the potential to drive economic growth and improve the standard of living for the population.” Schaer also noted that the innovative solutions offered by these companies would not only be beneficial for the public sector but also for businesses.
Other Estonian firms have already set up shop in the Kenyan market, including Spacedrip, which has installed an automated water treatment and reuse system at Uhuru Park in Nairobi.
Mondo is in the process of digitizing various subjects aimed at facilitating e-learning. CoNurse App is currently being piloted at Kenyatta National Hospital, providing voice-guided support to help experienced nurses conduct and remember critical, complex, and infrequent procedures.
Bolt, which is known for its e-taxi app, has also been operating locally for an extended period, offering e-taxi alternatives to Uber and Little Cab.