Team Vertex
E-LAB THINK TANK · ALU · 2026

We Are VERTEX

Six students. One mission. We didn't have professional backgrounds — we just came together, saw a massive gap in cybersecurity for Nairobi's SMEs, and built ShieldOS to fix it.

0 Team Members
0 % SMEs At Risk
0 Billion KSh Lost
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// OUR MISSION

Empowering SMEs,
Securing the Future

Our mission is to advocate for a digital security and literacy platform for small businesses across Nairobi, ensuring they can leverage technology to empower them against the threat from cyber vulnerability.

We envision an ecosystem where every SME operates with enterprise-grade security awareness — where digital risks no longer threaten the livelihood of entrepreneurs. Our goal: reduce reported cybersecurity attacks by at least 25% within 2 years.

"Empowering businesses, securing minds" 🌱
Team Vertex
Through innovation and empathy, we build solutions that respect the hustle of the African SME.
// THE PROBLEM

Nairobi's SMEs Are
Under Attack

We did not read this in a report. We heard it from the people living it.

60%+ of Nairobi SMEs reported phishing, ransomware or a data breach in the last 3 years
KSh 29.9B lost annually to cybercrime across Kenya in 2025
0% of SMEs we interviewed had a dedicated cybersecurity budget
842M AI-powered attack detections globally in late 2025
"They are not too small to be targeted. They don't realise they are being attacked by automated bots. They are not too small — they are low-hanging fruit."
— Najoli Light, Cybersecurity Expert · Interviewed by Team Vertex, Nairobi 2026

No Awareness

80% of SMEs believe they are too small to be a target.

No Budget

Cybersecurity is never a line item for small businesses.

No Skills

No dedicated IT staff, no policy, no incident response plan.

// THE TEAM

Six Minds.
One Vision.

We are just students who came together to build something that actually matters. No professional backgrounds—just curiosity, dedication, and the drive to protect Nairobi's SMEs.

Kingsley Kipkoech

Kingsley Kipkoech

KENYA

Linux nerd. AI curious. Lives in the terminal.

Kayitare Anakin Libery

Kayitare Anakin Libery

RWANDA

Into Python and videography. Codes and films.

Kelvin Munene Nyagah

Kelvin Munene Nyagah

KENYA

Full stack dev. Builds front to back, no shortcuts.

Kabi Kabi Jean Paul II

Kabi Kabi Jean Paul II

CAMEROON

Thinks tech should fix how we handle health. Working on it.

Kethia Keza

Kethia Keza

RWANDA

Wants to rethink how education is done. Asks a lot of questions.

Mpaka Sano Lemuel

Mpaka Sano Lemuel

RWANDA

Just loves to code. Any language, any problem.

// E-LAB JOURNEY

Our 6 Challenges

Every challenge pushed us further — here's our full story.

01
✓ Completed

Mission Voyage

Our first challenge: defining who we are. We introduced ourselves, connected personal values to a shared identity — the birth of Vertex.

"We are the intersection where our tech skills meet real-world problems."
02
✓ Completed

Cultural Discoveries

We stepped away from the keyboard to research the rich history and culture of the Giriama People. Understanding community resilience helps us build technology that respects the context of the people using it.

"Innovation thrives when it is rooted in an understanding of local culture."
03
✓ Completed

The #HELP LAB

Technology should serve people. We engaged directly with the community through grassroots volunteering, gaining perspective on the everyday challenges faced by those outside the tech bubble.

🤝 Community Outreach 🏫 Volunteering 🌍 Empathy Building
"True impact isn't just written in code; it is felt in communities."
04
✓ Completed

Field Research & Org Visit

We stepped out of the classroom and visited a leading cybersecurity organization to conduct in-depth interviews with industry experts. This validated our problem statement and directly shaped our solution.

🏢
Organization
Cybersecurity Firm
🎙️
Activity
Expert Interviews
📝
Outcome
Validated pain points
"You can't solve a problem you've never seen — so we went to see it."
05
✓ Completed

Pitch & Presentation

We delivered a compelling pitch: the problem, our solution, our impact — all in front of E-Lab faculty and peers at ALU, sharpening our communication skills.

"Empowering Small Businesses Through Technology"
View Slides →
"A good idea only creates impact when communicated effectively."
06
⚡ Active — You're Here

Digital Print 🌐

The final challenge: creating a digital portfolio to document our entire E-Lab journey. This site is our Digital Print — our public proof of work.

"Your digital footprint is your first impression — make it count."
CHALLENGE 06
DIGITAL PRINT
In the 21st century, digital literacy and presentation skills are imperative — especially for those seeking to positively impact Africa.
5,000 pts · E-Lab 2024/25
// OUR SOLUTION

ShieldOS — What We Built

Protect. Operate. Grow.

ShieldOS is not an antivirus. It is not an app. It is a complete hardened Linux operating system — built from the ground up for Kenyan SMEs running on refurbished hardware. It replaces vulnerable Windows in 15 minutes via USB. It runs silently. It blocks threats automatically. And it costs absolutely nothing.

✓ Kenya Data Protection Act 2019 Compliant
⚡

15-Min USB Install

Deploys on any refurbished 4th Gen Intel PC, zero IT engineer needed.

🛡️

DNS Phishing Filter

NextDNS blocks malicious sites before they even load on the device.

🔐

Full Disk Encryption

LUKS encryption by default, protecting sensitive business records if stolen.

📋

App Whitelisting

Only approved business apps can run, rendering ransomware executables useless.

🔄

Auto Security Updates

Automatic threat definitions and system updates keep protection current with zero effort from the user.

📖

Built-in SME Security Guide

An integrated digital literacy guide helps SME staff understand threats and respond safely — no IT trainer needed.

Debian Stable XFCE Desktop LUKS Encryption NextDNS AppArmor Restic Backup VeraCrypt LibreOffice LibreWolf
ShieldOS — Live Interactive Boot Sequence (Fullscreen ⇱)
// OUR VIDEOS

Watch Our Journey

All of our E-Lab challenge videos — from our first introduction to our final pitch.

// LATEST · PITCH VIDEO
Challenge 05 — Pitch & Presentation
Challenge 01 — Mission Voyage
Challenge 02 — Problem Discovery
Challenge 03 — Ideation & Solution Design
Challenge 04 — Prototype Development