Many of the most interesting innovations are borne out of necessity. This seems to be more true in Africa than elsewhere.

The story behind Kukua Weather Services is one that stands out from the rest. Co-founders Ollie Smeenk and Tom Vanneste were living in Tanzania and were out sailing when they wanted to see what the weather would be doing, something that is rather important when operating a wind-powered vessel. They couldn’t, however, find a reliable source of weather data. This experience proved to be the catalyst for the foundation of Kukua.