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Dominic Drives Change in Agro-Trade with TradePulse in Africa

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In an era where technology serves as the engine for change, Kenya’s Dominic Owino has emerged as a powerhouse in Africa’s tech and agriculture sectors. With over 15 years of experience spanning payments, fintech, and agritech, his journey is a testament to how innovation can solve entrenched systemic challenges.

As the founding Engineer at TradePulse Inc., an AI-powered sourcing platform, Dominic is redefining raw material sourcing for agro-processors across Africa.

TradePulse Inc. is revolutionizing Africa’s agriculture sector with its AI-powered platform. Focused on raw material sourcing for agro-processors, the company addresses supply chain inefficiencies, builds trust through secure transactions, and empowers stakeholders with actionable insights—all while promoting sustainable growth in underserved sectors.

From Academia to Innovation

Dominic’s story began with a solid academic foundation, culminating in a Master’s in Information Systems and Technology. Even in those early days, his focus was sharp: his thesis—a machine learning portal for predicting vegetable prices—foreshadowed his future in applying technology to real-world problems.

Professionally, he honed his skills at industry leaders like Equity Bank, NCBA Group, and Cellulant. Here, he spearheaded transformative projects, including digital banking platforms, Mobile Banking Apps, Payment Gateways, Banking Multi-Channels and even the monumental NIC and CBA merger to form Kenya’s third-largest bank, NCBA Group. His work on the Nigeria GESS (Growth Enhancement and Support Scheme) for agriculture subsidy epitomized his ability to merge technical acumen with societal impact.

“My work has consistently bridged technology and business, ensuring digital solutions address pressing challenges,” he said.

The Vision Behind TradePulse

The idea for TradePulse was sparked by a critical issue: Africa’s agriculture sector, while being the backbone of its economy, suffers from inefficiencies in raw material sourcing, trust deficits, and financing gaps. Partnering with co-founders Declan Ochich Magero and Omer Dogan under the Antler Startup Accelerator in Nairobi, Dominic set out to address these challenges.

“My transition to TradePulse Inc., an AI-powered sourcing platform, was a natural evolution of my passion for leveraging technology to solve systemic challenges in Africa,” he recalls. “We embraced the vision of transforming raw material sourcing for agro-processors like animal feeds, believing in the potential of AI and technology to unlock new opportunities for Africa’s different agro-processor verticals.”

The agriculture sector is the backbone of Kenya and much of Africa; however, it faces critical challenges, particularly in raw material sourcing, trust, supply chain inefficiencies, and financing.

“I joined TradePulse to tackle these issues head-on, inspired by the vision of Declan and Omer to create a secure, AI-driven platform that bridges the gap between suppliers and agro-processors,” Dominic explains.

Engineering Innovation at Its Core

TradePulse leverages AI-powered sourcing to optimize supplier-buyer matches based on quality, location, and cost, while its secure escrow wallet fosters trust by addressing concerns about non-payment or substandard goods. AI-driven credit assessments facilitate revenue-based financing, providing businesses with essential working capital. Additionally, robust data insights empower stakeholders with actionable intelligence to make informed decisions and drive growth.

At TradePulse, technological innovation is non-negotiable. The platform leverages Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) frameworks, these enhance AI-driven sourcing through connecting suppliers and buyers, optimizing matches based on quality, location, and cost, while light ERP systems provide seamless solutions for ordering, invoicing, and payments. Leveraging cloud-based infrastructure ensures scalability and reliability, addressing Africa’s diverse technological landscape. Advanced security measures, including end-to-end encryption, regulatory compliance, and anomaly detection, guarantee robust data protection.

The platform prioritizes data security by implementing end-to-end encryption to protect data, adhering to local laws like Kenya’s Data Protection Act and GDPR-like standards for scalability, and using role-based access controls to limit data exposure. The company ensures reliability through cloud-based infrastructure redundancy and employs AI tools for continuous monitoring to detect and prevent potential breaches.

Significant Engineering Challenges

At TradePulse, several engineering challenges arose that required innovative solutions and collaborative efforts. One of the primary hurdles was defining the vision for the platform. Translating the high-level aspirations of the company into a functional and user-friendly system involved iterative collaboration with clients and stakeholders to ensure alignment and practicality. Another significant challenge was the integration of cost-effective payment systems. Leading the implementation of scalable escrow wallet solutions allowed for secure and affordable financial transactions.

Rapid development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) posed its own set of difficulties, as it demanded swift execution and a laser focus on incorporating client feedback to validate the platform’s feasibility. Additionally, a major pivot from a revenue-based financing model to an AI-powered sourcing solution necessitated a substantial architectural redesign, which required reimagining the platform’s core infrastructure. Lastly, integrating cutting-edge AI technologies, including large language models (LLMs) and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) frameworks, presented challenges in experimentation and optimization, ultimately enhancing the sourcing capabilities of TradePulse. These challenges were overcome through a combination of technical expertise, stakeholder engagement, and adaptive problem-solving strategies

Bridging Tech and Business Strategy

Dominic’s role as a co-founding engineer requires balancing deep technical leadership with strategic business insights. “Emphasis is on aligning technical decisions with business goals,” he says, emphasizing customer feedback and market demands as guiding principles. His ability to collaborate with co-founders ensures TradePulse remains both innovative and market-responsive.

“Empasis is on close collaboration with co-founders to ensure technology supports the company’s vision. Prioritizing features based on customer feedback and market demand. Staying abreast of industry trends to position TradePulse as a leader in agritech innovation,” he notes.

In their current tech stack, they rely on microservices with TypeScript/JavaScript for modular and scalable development, low-code tools like Airtable for rapid MVP creation, and open-source e-commerce backends for efficient product, order, invoicing, and payment management. Flutter enables seamless cross-platform mobile app delivery, while AI tools, including Frontier LLMs (OpenAI, Ollama) and RAG frameworks, drive advanced sourcing solutions.

Looking ahead, Dominic envisions AI, blockchain, and fintech as transformative forces in Africa’s trade and commerce sectors. From precision agriculture powered by IoT to cross-border payment solutions for SMEs, the potential is boundless.

Empowering Africa’s Entrepreneurs and a Vision for the Future

For budding African entrepreneurs and engineers Dominic is passionate about fostering Africa’s next generation of these problem-solvers. His advice?

“Focus on solving real community problems, iterate quickly using feedback, and leverage local talent to foster collaboration and mentorship. Think Global, Act Local design scalable solutions that are globally relevant but rooted in the local context.”

TradePulse’s mission aligns seamlessly with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, fostering innovation, reducing inequalities, and driving economic growth. Dominic’s dual focus on AI innovation and smart farming underscores his commitment to transforming Africa’s agro-trade landscape.

To him, this journey isn’t just about technology—it’s about reshaping lives and livelihoods across the continent. He is excited about expanding TradePulse’s AI capabilities, designing scalable distributed microservices, and exploring IoT and AI applications in precision agriculture and trade.

Dominic’s journey is a masterclass in aligning innovation with impact. Through TradePulse, he is not just redefining agro-processing; he is shaping a future where technology catalyzes Africa’s economic renaissance.

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