Bluewave Insurance Agency

Bluewave Insurance Agency is a specialty microinsurance brokerage serving low-income and unbanked consumers across East and Southern Africa. Founded in 2016 by Adelaide Odhiambo, the company distributes property, agriculture, life, and funeral insurance through mobile-accessible channels -- USSD, SMS, and WhatsApp -- that work on feature phones without reliable internet connectivity, extending coverage to populations traditionally outside the reach of formal insurance markets.

Bluewave operates a B2B2C model, embedding its insurance products into the ecosystems of mobile network operators (MNOs), banks, and microfinance institutions. The company has built API integrations with major mobile money platforms, including M-Pesa in Kenya and Airtel Money in Uganda, enabling consumers to purchase insurance and pay premiums within existing mobile money flows. Active markets span nine countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, the DRC, Nigeria, Gambia, and Ethiopia.

A tripartite partnership between Bluewave, Airtel Money, and AAR Insurance enrolled more than 100,000 subscribers in under one month in Uganda. Following the dissolution of an earlier strategic arrangement with Lami Technologies, Bluewave relaunched as an independent company in early 2024 and announced a USD 6M expansion plan targeting additional African markets. The company has received seed funding of USD 1.8M from backers including Merck Accelerator, GrowthAfrica, and Samurai Incubate.