Kate Kallot is a world-class technologist who has received sustained global acclaim in tech for social impact, most notably for her work advancing technology access across Africa. She has received multiple accolades for her work, including being named TIME 100 most influential people in AI and VentureBeat Women in AI Rising Star.
Kate is the Founder & CEO of Amini, an impact-driven AI startup solving Africa's environmental data scarcity to support regenerating natural capital at scale.
Born in France, Kallot traveled during her early years to see relatives in many African nations. Before departing to start Amini, she oversaw the developing markets division of AI chipmaker Nvidia. Although she is not the first to see the potential of environmental data to support development, her business, which has garnered $2 million in seed money, has made a name for itself as an African pioneer in this field.
2023
During a “Innovation for Impact” panel at the first TIME100 Africa Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, Kate Kallot, the founder and CEO of Nairobi-based startup Amini, Fatima Tambajang, NVIDIA’s head of developer relations, startups, and venture capital ecosystem for Africa and the Middle East, and moderator Eugene Anangwe, the founder of East African Media Group, discussed AI, funding, and other topics.
According to Kallot, in order for Africa to take the lead in artificial intelligence, the rest of the world would need to change the way it views innovation. “You need to adjust your perspective,” she stated. Kallot started his firm last year with the goal of gathering and processing environmental data down to the square meter using AI and satellite photography. According to Kallot, this technique benefits both large corporations considering investments in Africa and smallholder farmers seeking to increase agricultural output by providing a reliable means of monitoring such circumstances. She asserts, “We are already at the forefront of innovation.” “We simply must get rid of our prejudices.”
Africa’s crypto market has grown by over $105 billion in the past year, with over 12 million Africans owning at least one cryptocurrency. Three promising African crypto projects to invest in include Akoin, VALR, and $DPAT. Akoin, founded by Senegalese musician Akon, aims to provide a unified currency for African countries, while VALR, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in Africa, has over 250,000 clients and is expected to launch its own token soon. $DPAT aims to transform real estate investments in Africa and globally.
"🌍✨ Incredible insights at Edge ML hosted by @TinyMLKenya & graced by @KateKallot. Key takeaways: 🔸Rethink natural capital vs GDP for sustainable impact. 🔸Tech & innovation solving real-world problems. 🔸Data's role in accelerating Africa's sustainable development. pic.twitter.com/zFgakorRep
