Ken Njoroge
Ken Njoroge is a pioneering Kenyan entrepreneur best known as co-founder and long-time CEO of Cellulant, a leading fintech company transforming how businesses and consumers pay across Africa. Alongside his partner Bolaji Akinboro, he sketched Cellulant’s founding plan “on a serviette” in 2002. The company officially launched in 2003, first operating in mobile content—selling ringtones and music via carrier networks in countries like Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.
As mobile tech evolved, Njoroge led Cellulant to pivot from media/content to payments. Under his leadership, the company built one of Africa’s most connected payments ecosystems, integrating banks, mobile operators, merchants and consumers, serving tens of millions. Among its major milestones was the development of Agrikore, a digital e-wallet program for subsidized agricultural inputs in Nigeria, reaching millions of farmers. In 2018 Cellulant raised about US$47.5 million in funding from TPG Growth’s The Rise Fund to scale across Africa.
Njoroge’s work has not just been about business growth; he has also focused heavily on financial inclusion. Cellulant has enabled access to digital financial services for previously unbanked populations, integrated payments in rural economies (especially agriculture), and pushed for broader entrepreneurial ecosystem development. In 2019 he was awarded the Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year, recognizing both his technological innovation and social impact.
After 18 years at the helm, Ken transitioned from daily leadership to support the new CEO and focus more on strategic mentorship and ecosystem building. His legacy is a more inclusive financial infrastructure across Africa and a blueprint for building impact-driven fintech.
