From Kenyan Orphan to Tech Mogul

The Story of Mubarak Muyika

Author

Marco Fazio
February 25, 2025

In a small town in Western Province, Kenya, Mubarak Muyika faced a childhood filled with adversity. Orphaned by the age of 11, he was left to navigate life with minimal resources.

Despite the challenges, Mubarak never gave up on his dreams and saw education and technology as his ticket to changing the world.

At just 16, Mubarak began his entrepreneurial journey by founding Hype Century, a web hosting company aimed at providing affordable solutions to businesses across Kenya.

His youthful energy and keen eye for opportunity paid off when he sold Hype Century for a six-figure sum at the age of 18. This sale gave him the capital to pursue his next big idea: Zagace, a platform offering business solutions for areas such as accounting, HR, and marketing.

But launching Zagace was no easy feat. Mubarak faced skepticism from investors who questioned the scalability of his solution in Africa. Undeterred, he continued to develop the platform, focusing on solving real pain points for African businesses. He bootstrapped the company, working tirelessly to grow the user base and refine the product.

His persistence paid off in 2013 when Zagace attracted significant angel investment, allowing the company to expand operations. Mubarak’s vision for Zagace was not just to create a profitable business but to revolutionize how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Africa approached technology.

In 2020, after years of scaling the business and reaching thousands of customers, Zagace raised a $5 million funding round, which enabled it to broaden its reach and expand across multiple African countries.

Mubarak’s efforts have since earned him recognition as one of Africa’s most successful young entrepreneurs.

MVP Lessons From Mubarak Muyika:

🐇 Perseverance Pays Off: Despite being told no by investors, Mubarak’s relentless drive to prove the value of his business helped him overcome barriers.

🐇 Solve Real Problems: Mubarak’s focus on providing practical, affordable solutions for businesses in Africa led to a product that filled a genuine gap in the market.

🐇 Build First, Seek Funding Later: Mubarak’s strategy of proving product-market fit with early users helped him secure funding when the time was right.

🐇 Don’t Let Setbacks Define You: Even after early setbacks, Mubarak’s resilience and belief in his product allowed him to turn Zagace into a success story.

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Startups Currently Raising

These innovative tech startups are actively fundraising. Who will be the next success story?

🔹 Enzi Technologies (Kenya) – Affordable tech solutions for small businesses across East Africa. This Kenyan startup is using technology to tackle business inefficiencies and empower entrepreneurs.

🔹 Kahawa 1893 (Kenya) – Kenyan coffee brand that sources beans directly from female farmers in Africa, offering premium coffee with an empowering business model.

🔹 Tandem Diabetes (UK) – A global health tech leader that develops diabetes management systems and continues to raise funding to help people with diabetes lead more independent lives.

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