“Africa Can Lead in Assistive Tech” — AT4D Launches Fund to Back Early-Stage Startups

The Zero Project Technology Forum has been held in Nairobi for the first time, marking a major step toward accelerating assistive technology development across Africa. The regional event brought together over 15 startups alongside corporate and non-profit partners, creating new opportunities to scale solutions for millions of disabled people across the continent.

Speaking to Double Tap, Bernard Chiira, founder and CEO of AT4D and co-founder of Africa’s Innovate Now accelerator, said the goal is to transform access to assistive technology and reach 10 million users. “We are building the runway for African solutions to become global,” he said, highlighting the launch of a pilot investment fund for early-stage startups. This “momentous fund” aims to bridge the financing gap that often prevents promising assistive tech products from reaching the market.

Bernard explained that the Nairobi forum, co-hosted with the Zero Project, addresses long-standing barriers caused by limited funding, infrastructure, and policy enforcement. “Good solutions often lack access to partners who could help them scale and reach their objectives,” he said. Regionalising the forum allows African innovators to connect with the global network without the travel restrictions that have limited participation in Vienna.

AT4D’s work spans four pillars: its accelerator programme, the new investment fund, research into artificial intelligence for disability inclusion, and the creation of a dedicated AI and disability hub. Early successes include Hope Tech, a startup now active in London and Vienna, developing wearable navigation technology for blind and low vision users.

Bernard emphasised that assistive technology should be seen as both an economic opportunity and a social imperative. Stronger policies, incentives, and enforcement are needed to close the access gap. “The disability community is a global opportunity,” he said. “You can be anywhere in the world and solve a global problem.”

Resources:

– AT4D Official Website
https://at4d.org

– Zero Project
https://zeroproject.org

– Innovate Now Accelerator
https://atinnovatenow.com