Kenyan Startups Roam and Keep It Cool Teams Up to Launch Africa’s First Fully Electric Cold-chain Delivery Network

Kenyan startups Roam and Keep It Cool teams up to launch Africa’s first fully electric cold-chain delivery network, a game-changer for food distribution and climate action on the continent. This pioneering collaboration combines Roam’s electric motorcycles with Keep It Cool’s smart cold chain platform, creating a clean, efficient, and affordable way to deliver fresh food across major cities in Kenya.

Roam is an electric mobility company focused on making transport solutions tailored for Africa. Their electric motorcycles, called Roam Air, are designed and built in Kenya, capable of carrying up to 240 kilograms. These bikes reduce running costs by up to 75 percent compared to traditional petrol motorcycles, making them very practical and cost-effective for delivery businesses. Keep It Cool, on the other hand, is innovating food supply chains in East Africa through its Markiti platform, which integrates solar-powered cold storage and smart logistics to ensure fresh food reaches markets without spoilage.

Read Next: GTCO is Now the First Bank to Cross N100/share Mark on Nigerian Exchange

Together, these two Kenyan startups Roam and Keep It Cool have launched the continent’s first fully electric cold-chain delivery network by initially adding five Roam Air electric motorcycles to Keep It Cool’s system. Keep It Cool already moves over 250,000 kilograms of fresh food every week to more than 4,000 small businesses and 40 supermarkets in cities like Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Mombasa. The partnership not only improves delivery efficiency but also drastically cuts costs and carbon emissions from transport.

A major issue in East Africa’s food sector has been post-harvest losses, especially for perishable products like fish and poultry. Often, inadequate cold storage and transport lead to nearly half of these foods spoiling before they reach consumers. Keep It Cool tackles this by using solar-powered cold rooms near fishing ports, hybrid trucks, and a digital platform that links producers directly to retailers, enabling fair prices and reducing waste. The addition of Roam’s electric motorcycles now completes the chain with clean last-mile delivery, making the entire cold-chain system fully electric and climate friendly.

Elijah Gakomo, a sales executive at Roam, emphasized how this partnership shows that clean transport can reduce emissions, cut costs, and boost local supply chains. He said, “Together, we’re proving that the future of logistics in Africa is electric, efficient, and built at home.” Abigail Gichigi, operations director at Keep It Cool, highlighted the environmental benefits, noting that their investments in cold storage and clean logistics save nearly 400 tonnes of fish annually that would otherwise end up in landfills. She explained that this innovative network is making safe, affordable food distribution scalable and accelerating impact for people and the planet.

This exciting development is supported by the recognition both startups have received. Roam was named Kenya’s fastest-growing company by the Financial Times and recently launched an improved version of its electric motorcycles, reflecting real feedback from local riders. Keep It Cool is preparing to open Kenya’s largest solar-powered cold-chain hub, with plans to serve 1.6 million people by 2030.

Read Next: Vodacom Business Teams Up With NAVIC To Fight Crime In South Africa

By combining clean energy, smart logistics, and African-made technology, the Kenyan startups Roam and Keep It Cool are proving it’s possible to grow rural incomes, reduce food waste, and fight climate change all at once. This fully electric cold-chain delivery network not only modernizes how fresh food is transported but also sets a powerful example for sustainable development across Africa. The success of this partnership sends a clear message that innovative, homegrown solutions can drive economic growth while protecting the environment.

In summary, Kenyan startups Roam and Keep It Cool teams up to launch an electric cold-chain delivery network that promises to transform food logistics across the continent. Their joint effort is a historic step toward cleaner, smarter, and more inclusive supply chains that will benefit farmers, businesses, consumers, and the planet alike.

Was this information useful? Drop a nice comment below. You can also check out other useful contents by following us on X/Twitter @siliconafritech, Instagram @Siliconafricatech, or Facebook @SiliconAfrica.