You have always heard it said that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. This literary explains what myBIGOrder is; the processes that have been undertaken to see this Kenyan e-commerce platform that is turning business sector technologically thrive to its current state. The story of myBIGOrder is one interesting and inspiring.

Have you ever wondered how business ideas find their way to such shows as the KCB Lions’ Den? Probably you have. There you learn of some giants of businesses that have been hidden in the thickets of the jungle simply because they lack some essentials required to see them grow further- one major aspect is finances. Season 3 of the KCB Lions’ Den gave most Kenyans a big surprise as it presented to them some two young citizens, Alphonce and Eunice with an order-taking platform like no other.

This platform works with three different mobile apps that have been integrated to work in sync with each other. One is a merchant’s app, then a customer’s app and finally a driver’s app. With myBIGOrder, the customer does not need to install the merchant’s app but can access all the merchants from the platform and hence place an order for any item. When a merchant receives this order, they are able to locate the closest available driver or a rider to do the delivery. The driver, rider or messenger only needs to have the driver’s app and the shopping cycle is complete.

Kenya and the world at large prides in a good number of e-commerce platforms. People have taken shopping online in a bid to save time and money. When asked how different their platform is from all the rest, the aspect of order-taking came out clear. myBIGOrder connects a buyer to the seller directly. You buy from a merchant whose contacts and business location you know. That sounds freaking, right? You can be sure most of the lions in the den also felt the same. But, not after you hear Mr. Alphonce explain the reasoning behind that openness.

The reason myBIGOrder has grown somehow rapidly is because both business owners and customers have embraced the direct connection. They feel comfortable that they can make inquiry even before they are ready to do the actual buying. The merchants are happy to know their customers and are optimistic that later they can even engage them outside myBIGOrder. Another technology that myBIGOrder uses, is know as geofencing. It helps a customer locate the closest merchant with the product they want to order. This ensures that an order is delivered on-demand and that a customer in Nyeri does not need to order for something from Limuru while a merchant at Sagana has the same product.

Technology seems to be the heartbeat of myBIGOrder owners. That a team of young Kenyans spearheaded by Mr. Alphonce are the sole developers of this platform including the three mobile apps is success in itself. Hard to believe (but you have to, because that is the truth) is that, Alphonce, who is barely 35 years is the oldest at myBIGOrder. As you watch this Season Finale of the KCB Lions’ Den, all you want is to meet the rest of his team. It is a clear indication of what great talents and skills Kenya holds in the youth.

Imagine a team of 40 young people working somewhere in Nairobi, Westlands thinking nothing else but how to transform the world through technology… That’s myBIGorder! Now you do not need any more lesson to learn how Lion Joanne Mwangi rose to offer this order-taking platform a whole 10 million shillings at an equity of 25%. Where technology and business are concerned, myBIGOrder is indeed a platform to watch.