The Kenyan startup TOTOSCI signed a distribution deal recently with Safaricom selling its locally manufactured, low-waste USB mobile phone chargers in the telecom giant’s shops throughout the country. The startup’s client list includes multinationals and other Kenyan startups, including BBOXX, Gearbox, Europlacer, Synnefa, Ivyliam, Angaza Elimu and now Safaricom.
TOTOSCI has navigated a Kenyan market replete with cheaper imported USB chargers, offering their product as a durable, homegrown, low-waste alternative.
“We sell convenience and durability,” Anthony Muthungu, Director of TOTOSCI, says. “Most people believe local products are not durable and should be very cheap unlike the imports. This is and will always remain the big challenge.” And that is the reason the startup has had success with industrial sales rather than retail, Mr. Muthungu adds.
The startup of five people launched in 2021, and won the funding it needed to buy manufacturing equipment at the Kenyan division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Innovation Showcase (ASME ISHOW) accelerator in 2022.
TOTOSCI manufactures USB chargers at this facility in Sagana-Kirinyaga County, Kenya. Photo courtesy of Anthony Muthungu
“ISHOW helped big,” Mr. Muthungu says. TOTOSCI won (USD) $17,500 in funding to take the product to market, and the startup used the money to buy machinery and install a single-phase solar energy system. They bought a cutter and stripper, a testing machine seven molds, and an automatic soldering machine.
The team also took advantage of the business and design review and other expert advice the accelerator offers.
“ISHOW judges and consultants during competition and boot camp gave a lot of advice that we have used, especially focusing on customer segments and environmental [aspects],” Mr. Muthungu says.
The challenges the startup faces now are a lack of consistent cashflow, which may be due to their client base of industry rather than retail markets, Mr. Muthungu says. The startup would also like to upgrade to a three-phase solar system to run machines that use more power.
TOTOSCI describes their Kenyan-made mobile phone USB Chargers for Android, IOS, and feature phone users on their Website. For more, see totosci-holdings-ltd.odoo.com/.
Photo courtesy of Anthony Muthungu
