Elly Savatia, the kenyan innovator giving a voice to deaf people

Elly Savatia is one of the most promising faces of African technological innovation. Born in 2001 in Kenya, he developed an early interest in technology as a tool for social transformation. His name gained continental recognition in 2025 when he won the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, one of the most prestigious engineering awards given by the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom, for his project Terp 360, an application that translates spoken words into sign language in real time using artificial intelligence and 3D avatars.

From Isolation to Inclusion

The genesis of this innovation stems from his desire to solve a concrete problem: the isolation of deaf and hard-of-hearing people in many contexts, including education, healthcare, and employment. In several African countries, the shortage of sign language interpreters makes communication between these communities and the wider society difficult. Terp 360 aims to fill this gap by offering a digital solution capable of instantly translating spoken language — and even text — into sign language, making communication more accessible and seamless for all.

The success of Terp 360 relies on advanced technology combining artificial intelligence, motion capture, and 3D modeling, along with extensive data collection conducted in collaboration with deaf and hard-of-hearing Kenyans. Over 2,300 signs have been recorded to ensure the application meets local linguistic and cultural needs, particularly for Kenyan Sign Language.

I’m totally grateful for this and it is a testament to the innovative assistive technology work that is coming from Africa

This inclusive approach earned Savatia distinction among a handful of innovators from different African countries. During the award ceremony in Dakar, Senegal, he received a prize of £50,000 (approximately $67,000), which will allow him to further develop the application and integrate it into sectors such as education, healthcare, and professional environments.

In his remarks following the announcement, Savatia summarized his pride and vision with clarity: “I’m totally grateful for this and it is a testament to the innovative assistive technology work that is coming from Africa. I’m really looking forward to the excellence that will come out of Signvrse, the rest of the shortlistees and the African continent.”

This statement reflects both his gratitude and his ambition for Signvrse, the startup he founded to carry Terp 360 and other digital accessibility innovations. Since its creation in 2023 in Nairobi, Signvrse has aimed to remove communication barriers for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities using technology solutions adapted to the African context.

Elly Savatia’s journey is not that of an isolated inventor. He represents a generation of young Africans who create solutions from the daily challenges of their societies, leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence to provide tangible services. His innovation, far from being a gadget, has already been adopted in several schools, hospitals, and public spaces, facilitating communication between hearing and non-hearing individuals.

Goal :  to extend the application’s reach to other languages and regions

Today, he is working to expand Terp 360 to new markets, including B2B partnerships with educational institutions, healthcare centers, and companies aiming to integrate inclusive tools into their services. His stated goal is to extend the application’s reach to other languages and regions, with the ambition of covering multiple African sign languages — and potentially global ones — in the coming years.

With this major award and his ascending trajectory, Elly Savatia embodies an innovative Africa capable of producing technologies with significant social impact. His journey is a powerful illustration of a youth that no longer simply adapts technologies designed elsewhere but designs its own solutions, deeply rooted in local realities and capable of transforming lives.