Alex Mativo rises as one of Africa’s boldest young innovators, a builder whose life work proves that even the most overlooked problems can become engines of transformation.
Born in Nairobi, Kenya, and raised between the communities of Athi River and his schools in the city, Alex encountered early the realities many chose to ignore. Mountains of electronic waste surrounded everyday life, polluting environments and quietly threatening livelihoods.
Where others saw inconvenience, he saw urgency. Where others saw decay, he saw raw potential waiting to be reimagined. That vision began shaping his mindset long before he ever built a company.
His transition into entrepreneurship came remarkably young. At just 19, in 2014, Alex founded E-LAB, a pioneering venture focused on collecting electronic waste and transforming discarded materials into artistic fashion pieces, home décor, and interior design products.
Old circuit boards became earrings. Broken electronics became furniture. Toxic waste became sustainable art. Through E-LAB, Alex bridged creativity and environmental responsibility, proving that sustainability could be both economically viable and culturally relevant. What began as a simple idea evolved into a global story of innovation rooted in African resourcefulness.
But Alex’s ambition didn’t stop at environmental solutions. As he matured as a founder, he began to see structural gaps holding African businesses back. Small and medium enterprises struggled with digital operations, distribution channels, and access to reliable infrastructure.
In response, Alex launched Nanasi, a business platform aimed at helping SMEs digitize sales, manage operations, and navigate competitive markets more efficiently. His work shifted from recycling waste to strengthening the business backbone of everyday entrepreneurs.
That journey continued with the co-founding of Duck, a real-time retail data analytics company designed to empower African brands and retailers with tools previously limited to major global corporations.
Duck provides actionable insights including pricing trends, consumer demand forecasting, stock management, and competitor tracking. With this venture, Alex stepped into the role of a data innovator, equipping businesses across emerging markets with clarity, precision, and confidence to scale responsibly.
Alex’s achievements began gaining deserved international attention. In 2016, his environmental leadership through E-LAB earned him the prestigious Queen’s Young Leaders Award, recognizing his ability to merge entrepreneurship with sustainable impact.
Years later, in 2024, he was named to the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list, celebrating his multi-dimensional contributions to sustainability, technology, and enterprise development across the continent.
Yet it is Alex’s impact that truly defines his legacy. Through E-LAB, thousands of tons of e-waste have been diverted from landfills, protecting communities from hazardous pollutants while transforming waste into economic opportunity.
Through Nanasi and Duck, countless small businesses now operate with greater structure, visibility, and competitive advantage, unlocking growth paths that once felt inaccessible. His work touches both earth and enterprise, healing environments while enabling wealth creation.
Alex represents a generation of African leaders who build not for applause, but for lasting systems. He challenges the notion that innovation must be imported.
Instead, he demonstrates that African solutions, born from local challenges, can influence global conversations. His leadership is marked by quiet intensity, visionary clarity, and unwavering belief in Africa’s capacity to solve its own problems with world-class ingenuity.
Alex Mativo is not just reshaping industries. He is reshaping mindsets. His story affirms a powerful truth: when bold vision meets purposeful action, waste becomes wealth, data becomes power, and limitations become launchpads for continental progress.
