Photo Caption:Blindsight Africa Ltd founder Victoria Mwaura holds the dummy cheque after being announced the winner of the WITIA 2026 Pitch Competition in Nairobi on Friday, September 4, 2026.
NAIROBI, September 4, 2026 — Blindsight Africa Ltd has emerged the winner of the Women in Technology and Innovation Africa (WITIA) 2026 Pitch Competition, securing Sh500,000 to advance its assistive technology innovation for people with visual impairment.
The company, led by Victoria Mwaura, emerged first after presenting its smart glasses and companion technology designed to help people with visual impairment navigate their surroundings and access information through audio.
Speaking after being announced the winner, Victoria said the recognition would help draw greater attention to assistive technology and enable the company to expand its impact.
“I’m so happy that finally this is getting a spotlight and not just for personal interest but mostly because this is bringing impact into the space of vision-impaired persons,” she said.
Victoria said Blindsight Africa’s current product comprises smart glasses that work together with a mobile application or companion device to capture the user’s environment and relay information through audio.
“Our current products are smart glasses that work hand-in-hand with a mobile application or companion device. These devices capture the environment and then relay it to the person using audio, describing scenes, reading for you, informing you how to navigate obstacles and describing signs,” she said.
She said the prize money would be used to refine the product, develop models suited to African users and manufacture about 70 additional devices to increase testing and traction.
Victoria said the technology had already been tested with the Kenya Society for the Blind, with the company planning to extend testing to schools, workplaces and other settings to assess its adaptability.
“We want it to now be tested in schools, in different workspaces and see how adaptable it is, and even make a change in the life of someone with visual impairment,” she said.
Speaking during the announcement of the winners, Kelvin Korir, East Africa Lead at Vula and one of the judges, said the panel considered the problem being addressed, market validation, traction, and the contestants’ market and business models.
Korir said the judges reached a unanimous decision in selecting Blindsight Africa as the overall winner, citing its innovation and meticulous approach to its go-to-market strategy.
Innobid, led by Eliud Luutsa, secured second position and received bonds worth Sh50 million to strengthen its platform connecting women and youth-led businesses to markets and financing.
Luutsa said the recognition would enable the company to scale its solution, which prepares and links mainly small businesses to procurement opportunities and financial institutions.
“We were lucky to come out of the pitching as number two and, of course, we were able to win 50 million worth of bonds that will be integrated into our platform to help women entrepreneurs as well as youth entrepreneurs to access markets and financing,” he said.
He said the summit provided an opportunity for entrepreneurs to collaborate, build partnerships and connect with ecosystem enablers, rather than simply compete.
Luutsa called for increased support from partners to strengthen initiatives promoting women’s participation in technology and entrepreneurship, noting that investment in women contributes to stronger families and communities.
He also encouraged women who missed this year’s summit to participate in future editions and take advantage of opportunities to build networks, develop products and grow their businesses.
Tallycheck Ltd secured third position after demonstrating strong market validation, a clear understanding of its technology and supply chain, and the potential to adapt its technology to different use cases.
Playbus was also recognised for delivering the best pitch, with the judges citing its effective presentation, ability to capture the audience and adherence to time.
The Pitch Arena formed part of the Phase One preliminary round and brought together innovators working in areas including artificial intelligence, creative technology, agritech, transport and education technology.
The competition provided a platform for innovators to showcase technology-driven solutions while connecting with investors, partners and other ecosystem players supporting entrepreneurship and innovation in Africa.
