Uganda is ranked one of the top start up ecosystems in Africa.
Below is a list of noteworthy founders and their start ups. This list is not exhaustive.
Hamis Kiggundu - Ham Enterprises
Arguably the most successful and well-known young entrepreneur on this list, Hamis Kiggundu serves as the CEO of Ham Group Of Companies and is the author of "Success and Failure Based on Reason and Reality".
Ham Group of Companies operates in Uganda, UK, USA and South Africa with investments mainly in real estate, manufacturing and agro-processing, education, logistics, public transportation, hospitality and general merchandise.
Hamis Kiggundu is said to have a net worth of US$ 870 million and has a 2 km road named after him by the Kampala City Council Authority.
Nixon Kitimoi - 1Stock
Nixon Kitimoi serves as the Chief Investment Officer of 1Stock Limited, General Partner of 1Stock, LLC, Partner of Network VC and Director of Pal and Lisa; an organisation with interests in education, professional services, land banking, agriculture and real estate. He is also one of the shareholders of Vule Airways.
1Stock's hedge fund division, The Reaper Fund, was one of the nominees of The 2019 Global Hedge Fund Awards by Eurekahedge, under The Best New European Hedge Fund category which recognised the top performing hedge fund managers of 2018.
He was also one of the nominees of the 2022 Ugandan CFO Awards organised by the ACCA, under the Young CFO Award category and the Global Startup Awards in 2024, 2023 and 2021.
In addition, he is one of the winners of the 2024 Forty Under 40 Africa Awards, under the Banking and Finance category.
Nixon Kitimoi has been contacted to present at various events to discuss issues in economic growth and development and the alternative investment space.
As of 2022, 1Stock oversees over US$ 70 million in Assets Under Management and Capital Commitments.
Estimates have it that Kitimoi has a net worth of US$ 100 million as of 2023.
Kitimoi was named as one of the 2024 100 Most Influential Young Africans by the Pan African Youth Leadership Foundation.
He was also named as one of the Africa Under 40 CEOs, received a Honorary Doctorate from Prowess University, Delaware, USA and Membership to the Global Institute of Leadership and Governance, South Africa, in 2024.
Kitimoi was one of the 2024 50 Leading African Investors Under 40, awarded by the Africa Investment Leaders Forum.
Brian Muhumuza Bishanga
Brian Muhumuza Bishanga - BM Publications/Kyarimpa Cares
Brian Muhumuza Bishanga is a publicist and philanthropist and founder of BM Publications and Kyarimpa Cares, Brian has advanced corporate social responsibility and goodwill through his work with various NGOs like the Angella Katatumba Development Foundation, Judith Heard Foundation and Desire Luzinda Foundation, focusing on children’s welfare, women's empowerment, and climate activism.
His international influence is marked by his role as a Ugandan envoy at global summits like the United Nations Best Diplomats Simulation conference (Thailand) and International Youth Conference (New York) in 2022. Brian’s dedication to amplifying marginalized voices has made him an ideal candidate for significant society roles in Uganda and across the continent, leveraging media and partnerships to create lasting, transformative impact.
Ham Serunjogi - Chipper Cash
Five million-plus customers use Chipper Cash to zip money among seven nations including Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, the U.K. and the U.S. Customers can pay bills, as well as trade stocks and crypto. Raised in Uganda, Serunjogi was a junior Olympic swimmer before attending Iowa's Grinnell College, where he met his Ghanaian cofounder, Maijid Moujaled. "We had seen firsthand how difficult it was to send money from one country to another within Africa," Serunjogi says. In 2021, San Francisco-based Chipper made more than $75 million in revenue, mostly from foreign-exchange fees. The pair launched it in 2018 and have raised $300 million, hitting a peak valuation of $2.2 billion in November 2021.
The two founders each have an estimated 10% stake in Chipper, translating into paper fortunes north of $200 million.
Ham was named among the Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2022.
Evelyn Namara - !nnovate
!nnovate won the ICT4D Awards in May 2017 at ACIA Awards for M-Voucher with a reward of US$ 7500, the best Agriculture app at MTN Innovation Awards in November 2017 with US$ 3000 rewards and overall entrepreneur award in the Agriculture sector in 2017's Women In Africa club Summit in Marrakesh, Morocco.
The founder Evelyn Namara was also crowned the innovator of the year at MTN Innovation Awards 2017.
Manuela Pacutho - The Cradle
Manuela is a marketing professional and founder and CEO of The Cradle; Uganda's first ever 24-hour workplace infant and toddler care center. Manuela is also a Mandela Washington Fellow who was a part of 2017's cohort.
Nataliey Bitature - Energrow
Energrow is a company that specialises in productive energy asset financing.
Nataliey Bitature is also the founder of Musana Carts, Tateru Properties, Handymen Uganda and is a director of Project 500k.
The World Economic Forum named her as one of the Top 5 Innovators in 2016. She was a top contender for a US$ 1 million prize in the Hultz Prize competition, won a Young Achievers Award in 2018 and was named among the Forbes Africa 30 under 30 in 2018.
Francis Xavier Asiimwe - Kaaro Health
Francis is the CEO at Kaaro Health, an innovative Uganda-based health-tech company that is using software and hardware tools to improve access to high-quality healthcare for underserved communities. Kaaro Health has previously participated in the Make-IT accelerator program as well as the F-Lane accelerator programme in Berlin.
Kevin Lubega - Ezeemoney
Ezeemoney is a fintech company that offers financial and non-financial services while targeting people at the bottom of the pyramid.
As of 2018, Ezeemoney is said to gross over US$ 50 million annually.
Kevin Lubega was also named among the Forbes Africa 30 under 30 in 2018 and is the Foundation Leader of The Obama Foundation.
Kiyingi Amos - Uganda Unites
Uganda Unites is a national youth-led movement that connects youth from different religious and ethnic backgrounds to equip and inspire them with peace building and leadership skills to become agents of change and make their communities better places to live.
Livingstone Mukasa - Mazima Retirement Plan
Mazima Retirement Plan is registered as an irrevocable trust in Uganda and licensed by Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority targeting voluntary long-term savers. The startups market is mainly the informal sector ignored by the National Social Security Fund -NSSF. Founded in 2016, Mazima has achieved what many fail in several years. The startup has over 1000 subscribers who, between them, have saved over UGX. 700,000,000 ($190,000). They have also signed strategic partnerships with Pride Micro Finance and MTN Uganda.
Monica Nyiraguhabwa - Girl Up Initiative Uganda (GUIU)
GUIU aims to provide young women and girls with opportunities to succeed and thrive as leaders in their slum communities through holistic education and economic empowerment.
Philip Rugamba - Sellio
The startup is part of Panya Tech, a company that is mostly known for their Panya bot. Sellio is an AI-powered advertising and sales automation software for small businesses in Africa. In 2017, Sellio was selected and pitched at the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa as well as at the Demo Africa Final.
Elizabeth Nalugemwa - Kyaffe Farmers Coffee
Elizabeth aims to empower women coffee farmers through fair trade coffee and leadership within the community she lives in.
Charles Muhindo - MamboPay
MamboPay is a payment solution that leverages digital vouchers and cards to drive accountability in payments. In 2017, MamboPay emerged winners of the best finance app category at the MTN Innovation Awards 2017.
Alvin Kabwama - UriSAF
UriSAF is a portable healthcare kit for maternal and sexual reproductive healthcare for testing UTI’s gestational diabetes, ketosis and things mothers test for when they go for antenatal care check-ups.
UriSAF emerged a winner in the Intellectual Property Awards by Uganda Registration and Services Bureau in 2017, emerged the winner in the East Africa Global Impact Challenge by Singularity University and was also shortlisted for the Africa Prize 2018 by The Royal Academy of Engineering.
Brenda Katwesigye - Wazi Vision
Wazi Vision provides more affordable eye care in Africa. Founded in 2016, the startup received a grant amounting to US$ 75,000 from USADF in partnership with CITI Foundation in July 2017. On top of being admitted to the F-Lane Accelerator in Berlin, the startup also raised seed funding of US$ 800,000 from Greentec Capital in October 2017.
Ricky Rapa Thompson - Safe Boda
SafeBoda is a community of motorcycle taxi (boda-boda) drivers bringing safety, trust and convenience to the industry in Africa.
Safe Boda has been featured in the MIT Technology Review and The Guardian.
Ricky Rapa Thompson was named by Forbes among "30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs in Africa 2018".
Ogik Peter - Source of the Nile Union of Persons with Albinism (SNUPA)
SNUPA is a non-profit organisation which advocates for human rights and access to quality services for people with albinism.
Ruyonga Daniel - Teheca
Teheca is a patient care firm that provides compassionate, caring and qualified care assistants for sick, elderly, special needs and new mothers in Uganda. In 2017, Teheca was selected among the top 4 start ups in the first cohort of the Up Accelerate program and they secured US$ 10,000.
Teheca also emerged winners of the first ever Mastercard Innovation Challenge in East Africa organised by Makerere Business School with a cash prize of US$ 2,500.
Mushusha Richard - Footmo Kit, Whole Mentorship Organisation
Footmo Kit is a handheld device that diagnoses foot and mouth diseases in livestock in hard to reach and underserved areas.
Andrew Atuhaire - The Hickory, Stonehaven
"The Woody Wine & Dine"
The Hickory and Stonehaven, both located in Kololo, Kampala have rapidly earned the reputation of being two of the top restaurants in the city.
The Hickory earned the Tripadvisor Traveller's Choice Award recently with a 4.5 star rating which places it in the top 10% worldwide.
Robert Katende - Som Chess Academy
Robert Katende started and developed the Chess programs in the Slums of Kampala and later in the internally displaced people’s camps (IDP) in Gulu. He has diligently used Chess as a vehicle to develop young people from the streets and Slums of Kampala and Gulu into great leaders and persons that are now a delight to Uganda. The Chess Ministry program has impacted the young people in an awesome way that, it has now hit the international level. As a result, a book (The Queen of Katwe) about his life and work by sports writer, Tim Crothers of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. Disney made a movie based on this book.
Esther Karwera - Akorion
Akorion is an agritech company digitizing agricultural value chains to enable smallholder farmers to access high-quality production and marketing services.
In 2017, Akorion was selected to be part of the Westerwelle Foundation Young Founder's Programme, they won The Digital Catalyst Award by USAID as well as being awarded the Most Innovative Idea by The World Economic Forum.
Stone Atwine - Eversend
Eversend is a multi-currency e-wallet that allows customers to exchange, spend and send money at the best possible rates.
Eversend has over 40,000 registered users and secured US$ 706,000 earlier in 2020 which gave it a value of over US$ 7 million.
Ntende Kenneth, John Kigony - DusuPay, MonkeyPesa
DusuPay is a fintech company that provides infrastructure that allows global businesses to make and accept mobile payments across Africa.
In 2017, DusuPay was part of the first Startupbootcamp AfriTech Programme in South Africa.
As of 2020, the company generates monthly average revenue of US$ 150,000.
MonkeyPesa is an enterprise company that intends to provide a range of software to help manage all aspects of business. Its management software is already live, though it is also building solutions for areas such as sales, marketing and HR. MonkeyPesa has signed in excess of 1,000 enterprises for its management software.
Andrew Musoke - Gifted Hands Network
Gifted Hands Network is an organisation that aims to reduce breast cancer deaths and increases the employability of visually impaired women in Uganda.
Abaas Mpindi - Media Challenge Initiative
Media Challenge Initiative is a youth-driven, non-profit, building the next generation of journalists in Africa through training, mentorship and experiential peer-to-peer learning.
Evelyn Anite
Evelyn Anite is Uganda’s State Minister for Investment and Privatization. She previously served as State Minister for Youth. Anite has full speed joined the manufacturing sector with a soap factory, Sabuni Savon in Kobokok, West Nile as well as her investments in hospitality following the opening of her Hotel La Confidentiel based in Arua. Anite is regarded as one of the most networked youthful politicians in Uganda.
Edwin Karugire - K&K Advocates
Edwin Karugire is a founding partner of K&K Advocates. He heads the firm’s vibrant transactions department and is married to President Museveni’s eldest daughter Natasha, who is seen as one of the most influential people in the presidential palace. Edwin has nevertheless made his name as a corporate lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in both international and domestic corporate and commercial practice. He has acted for clients in all aspects of corporate law, including but not limited to Mergers & Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, Banking & Finance, Technology, Media & Telecommunication, Private Equity, Energy, Taxation, PPPs and Insolvency. Edwin has led the K&K transactions team in some of the biggest telecommunication acquisitions in Uganda and has also handled several notable cross border Joint Venture transactions in the Technology, FMCG, Pharmaceuticals, Media, Security Printing, Agriculture and Manufacturing sectors.
Gloria Wavamuno - Kampala Fashion Week
Gloria Wavamuno is a fashion designer and the CEO & Founder of Kampala fashion week. The daughter of one of Uganda’s most prominent billionaires, Gordon Wavamuno, emerged in different areas of the fashion industry as a stylist and make-up artist, working for magazines such as Flare, New African Women and Arise magazine. Gloria interned at Ghanaian British men’s designer Oswald Boateng before launching her brand in 2009. Her ready-to-wear brand Gloria Wavamunno draws inspiration from her experiences and environment to construct unique fashion items with a focus on quality and tailoring. The brand has showcased during Fashion weeks in New York, Johannesburg and Paris.
Haruna Sentongo - Haruna Enterprises
Haruna Sentongo is the founder and chief executive officer of Haruna Enterprises, a real estate company based in Kampala, Uganda. His net worth is estimated at US$420 Million. Haruna and his brother Ham Kiggundu started off as retailers and importers of textiles before they invested in real estate and agro processing.