Manufacturing
Construction is sometimes seen as the foundation of global progress, although it remains one of the least digitised businesses. Critical infrastructure projects, such as data centres, rely on inefficient supply chains, which cause costly delays and resource waste. Against this backdrop, Kaya AI, a supply chain intelligence platform, has emerged to address these issues head on. The startup has officially emerged from stealth mode, announcing $5.3 million in pre-seed fundraising backed by major investors such as 53 Stations, Suffolk Technologies, and Soma Capital.
A Vision Born from Experience
Ojonimi Bako, Kaya AI's CEO and co-founder, shares a deeply personal narrative about the company's growth. Bako grew up in a small Nigerian town before relocating to Ohio at the age of 12. His family's emphasis on education and tenacity influenced his path. Bako studied industrial engineering at Ohio State University, with a concentration on operations research and applied maths, and went on to work for Accenture, obtaining practical experience in emerging markets such as Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt.
This exposure to complex systems and the desire to create solutions from the ground up eventually led him to Silicon Valley, where Kaya AI was born. “Data centers, infrastructure, and other mission-critical projects are at the forefront of global growth, yet their supply chains remain riddled with inefficiencies and delays,” Bako explained. “Kaya AI’s AI-native platform addresses these challenges, reducing the time teams spend from managing procurement through delivery by 80% and ensuring seamless project execution.”
