Wambui Gichuru

A Kenyan tech innovator who developed the iCow app to revolutionize smallholder farming in Africa.

Wambui Gichuru is a Kenyan agricultural technologist and founder of iCow, a mobile application that provides African smallholder farmers with free access to farming knowledge and market insights. Growing up in rural Kenya, Gichuru witnessed the challenges farmers faced due to lack of education and connectivity. In 2010, she launched iCow to bridge this gap. The app offers tools like a livestock health guide, weather forecasts, and soil analysis, all in local languages such as Swahili and Kikuyu.

By 2022, iCow had reached over 2 million users across 18 African countries. Gichuru’s innovation reduced crop failure rates by 40% in regions like Kenya’s Rift Valley. She expanded the platform to include iCow Markets, connecting farmers directly to buyers, and iCow Extension, a network of agricultural advisors.

Gichuru’s work has been recognized by the World Bank’s Women in Tech initiative and the African Union’s AgriTech Awards. She advocates for policies to integrate digital tools into rural development, speaking at events like the World Economic Forum. Her TED Talk, "How to Feed Africa with a Phone," highlights how technology can combat food insecurity. Gichuru’s contributions align with UN SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).