A decade and a half after launching one of Rwanda’s most successful tech startups, visionary entrepreneur and researcher Clarisse Iribagiza continues to shape the future of innovation across Africa and beyond.
Her journey began in 2010 when she founded HeHe Limited, an e-commerce startup that revolutionized how Rwandans accessed goods and services digitally. By 2017, the company had grown into a national leader in digital logistics and caught the attention of Japanese electronics giant DMM.com LLC, which acquired it in a landmark deal—marking one of the earliest and most significant tech exits in the Rwandan ecosystem.
Driven by a passion for innovation as a tool for societal change, Iribagiza went on to launch DeepTechAfrica as a Fellow at the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT. Through this initiative, she has built partnerships with global innovation leaders such as Hello Tomorrow, Founder Institute, and The Karman Project, providing African deep tech entrepreneurs with the resources and networks needed to bring transformative ideas to life.
Currently pursuing a PhD at Arizona State University’s School of Innovation, Iribagiza focuses on the intersection of technology and societal development, particularly exploring innovation ecosystems and financial models that can drive inclusive growth across the continent.
Her work has garnered global recognition: she was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and honored as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. She also serves as an advisor to the African Development Bank (AfDB), where she helps shape policies and strategies to harness technology for sustainable economic development across Africa.
A fierce advocate for gender equity in the digital economy, Iribagiza is also an eTrade for Women Advocate with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Through this role, she champions digital inclusion and economic empowerment for women entrepreneurs, helping to ensure that Africa’s tech revolution benefits all.
From her early days building apps in Kigali to shaping policy and research on a global scale, Clarisse Iribagiza exemplifies the power of African innovation to change lives—and the world.
