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Private Sector Advisory (InnoLab)


Cenfri's InnoLab works with the private sector to drive inclusive innovation by finding new ways of doing business and designing more welfare-enhancing products.

Our approach starts with the needs of the consumer in the context of their environment. We assist businesses consider options to build better products, enter new markets, develop innovation strategies and navigate related regulatory constraints.

Services we provide:

  • Strategic advice and risk analysis (helping to build the business case for inclusive products and services)
  • Consumer research and customer-centric product design (qualitative and quantitative research, behavioural interventions, and product and service design)
  • Market, ecosystem and regulatory analysis (to help businesses assess the market potential and navigate the regulatory environment)

Project collaborations

InnoLab engagements span various research areas including insurance, health financing, remittances and new technologies in distribution. For example

  • We are working with 14 remittance service providers in 7 African countries to improve access to cheaper, faster and safer remittance services through identity proofing and related customer due diligence (CDD) and know-your-customer (KYC) innovations
  • Cenfri is working with Britam, M-TIBA and the Swiss Capacity Building Facility to scale up accessible mobile health insurance in Kenya
  • To better understand the financial needs of platform users, we undertook consumer research on behalf of iBuild, which offers a secure method to connect people in Kenya who want to build or renovate with contractors and construction suppliers

To find out more about the InnoLab, please contact mia@cenfri.org.

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