Skip to content
Wabunifu Labs

An independent software company, building things that had to work since 2021.

Wabunifu Labs started in 2021 with three engineers and one conviction: most software studios are built to optimize billable hours, not to build products that actually work. We built the opposite kind of company.

Wabunifu is Swahili for creatives, or innovators, people who build things that did not exist before. For us it is not a tagline, it is the hiring bar. Everyone on the team has shipped something from zero, under real pressure, that people depended on.

We approach software the way an engineer approaches a bridge: the parts nobody sees, the architecture, the data model, the failure modes, matter as much as the parts everybody does. A beautiful interface sitting on a fragile system is not a product we would put our name on.

Today we are a team of engineers, applied researchers, and designers working across fintech, health, agriculture, education, and logistics, alongside a handful of ventures we have built and hold equity in ourselves. We stay intentionally small, so that every engagement gets our most senior people, not whoever happens to be free.

Clients choose us because we say what we actually think, even when it is not what was asked for, and because we are still there after launch, when the real questions start.

The company behind products people use without knowing who built them.

What we hold to

  1. 01

    Build with intention

    Every architecture decision, every interface choice, is made on purpose. Nothing in a Wabunifu product exists because it was the default option.

  2. 02

    Simplicity scales

    A simple system is easier to reason about, easier to debug, and easier to hand off. We choose the boring, well-understood solution over the clever one whenever both would work.

  3. 03

    Quality over quantity

    We take on fewer engagements than we could, so that every one of them gets our most senior people and our full attention.

  4. 04

    Learn continuously

    The tools and models we use today will look outdated in two years. We treat staying current as part of the job, not an occasional side project.

  5. 05

    Own the outcome

    We stay through launch, the first real traffic spike, and the first thing that breaks. Our name is attached to a product until it works.

  6. 06

    Users first

    A decision that is easier for us but harder for the end user is the wrong decision, even when it is faster to build.

People

Michael Maina

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

A software developer, entrepreneur, and product strategist with over three years of experience building web and mobile solutions. Michael specializes in transforming complex business challenges into scalable digital products, with expertise spanning React, React Native, Node.js, AI-powered applications, and startup product development. He has led the creation of innovative platforms including Fololimo, MazaoPay, and SmartDuka, focusing on empowering businesses and communities through technology-driven solutions.

Profile

Mrs Alice Nafuna

Chief Marketing Officer

A marketing strategist and educator with over two years of experience helping early-stage startups build their brands, attract users, and establish sustainable growth. She has led marketing initiatives for startups including Fololimo and currently heads the marketing strategy for SmartDuka, focusing on expanding its reach among Kenyan SMEs through practical, data-driven campaigns.

Profile

We are usually hiring one or two people.

Open roles