DigiTax wins at The Next Stage startup pitch competition

DigiTax, a Nairobi-based startup focused on simplifying tax compliance for Kenyan businesses, emerged as the winner of the competition. The judges were impressed by DigiTax’s strong product-market fit and its potential to enhance tax compliance across Africa.

As the competition’s top prize winner, DigiTax received a $10,000 USD cash award to support its growth and expansion, $50,000 USD in AWS credits, and access to an exclusive mentorship program. This program connects the company’s founders with top-tier global entrepreneurs and investors.

Thuku wa Thuki, Co-Founder of DigiTax, expressed his excitement, saying, “It was an absolute pleasure to be featured and win The Next Stage pitch competition. The event brought together like-minded founders working to solve industry challenges across the continent. We gained valuable insights into the future of innovation and are excited about the tech ecosystem’s future in Kenya and beyond.”

Organized by Kitsilano Technologies Ltd. and co-hosted by Tech Safari, one of Africa’s leading tech newsletters, The Next Stage served as a platform to showcase innovation within East Africa’s startup ecosystem. The event brought together investors, operators, and founders for a one-day showcase, with each of the 10 startups presenting live pitches to a crowd of influential investors, founders, and ecosystem leaders at Nairobi Street Kitchen.

The startups participating in the event represented a diverse array of sectors, including fintech, agri-tech, artificial intelligence, education, mobility, and talent development—sectors vital to driving economic growth across Kenya. The Next Stage proved to be more than just another pitch competition, offering a powerful platform for launching the next wave of African tech companies.

The keynote address was delivered by Paul Kimani, CEO of Workpay, a startup that has raised $5M USD from Norrsken22 and Visa. Kimani shared valuable lessons on building scalable infrastructure for African startups, drawing from his own journey in building Workpay.