From Kigali Garage to Regional Tech Leader

Jean-Pierre started coding at age 16 on a borrowed laptop. Growing up in Kigali, he had limited access to technology but unlimited curiosity. After winning a national coding competition in 2018, he received a scholarship to study Computer Science at the University of Rwanda.

During his university years, he noticed that many local businesses struggled with digital transformation. He began building simple websites and mobile apps for small businesses in his neighborhood, charging minimal fees to build his portfolio.

After graduating in 2021, Jean-Pierre pooled his savings with two university friends to found TechBridge Rwanda. Their first office was a converted garage in Kicukiro district. The team of three worked day and night to deliver their first major project ? a comprehensive inventory system for a local chain of pharmacies.

The breakthrough came when they won a contract to build a digital platform for the Rwanda Development Board. This project put TechBridge on the map and attracted attention from international investors.

Today, TechBridge Rwanda has grown into a full-service technology company with offices in Kigali, Nairobi, and Kampala. The company employs over 120 developers, designers, and project managers. They specialize in fintech solutions, mobile applications, and enterprise software for businesses across East Africa.

Their flagship product, PayEasy, is a mobile payment platform used by over 50,000 merchants in Rwanda and Uganda. TechBridge has processed over million in transactions through the platform.

Jean-Pierre envisions TechBridge becoming the leading technology company in Central and Eastern Africa by 2030. He plans to launch a coding academy to train the next generation of African developers and is exploring expansion into West African markets.

The company is also developing an AI-powered agricultural advisory platform that will help smallholder farmers optimize their crop yields using satellite data and machine learning algorithms.