[New Podcast] Unlocking Kenya’s & Africa’s IoT Potential with Fahrettin Oylum of Teknopalas & Doğuş Teknoloji

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of hosting a truly eye-opening episode of the Pure Digital Passion podcast with Fahrettin Oylum, Co-Founder & CEO of Teknopalas and a senior executive at Doğuş Teknoloji — ahead of their official market entry into Kenya during the upcoming Internet of Things (IoT) Summit happening on 19th June 2025 in Nairobi.

For those unfamiliar, Teknopalas has been at the forefront of UHF RFID and IoT systems innovation since 2005. In fact, they were one of the first 50 companies globally — and the very first in Turkey — to offer end-to-end IoT and RFID solutions. Over the last two decades, they’ve expanded into multiple sectors including healthcare, logistics, smart cities, and agriculture, making a name for themselves through pioneering R&D and award-winning technologies. The conversation I had with Fahrettin unpacks how this deep expertise is now being brought to Africa — starting right here in Kenya.

The Teknopalas Origin Story

Fahrettin shared how Teknopalas began with a vision: to connect the physical and digital worlds in a meaningful way. Inspired by the possibilities of real-time intelligence and automation, they ventured into building solutions that today range from library automation systems to smart vehicle protocols and even patented communication layers for large-scale IoT deployments.

What’s impressive is their sector-agnostic approach. Teknopalas doesn’t build for a single industry — they build modular, configurable technologies that can be applied anywhere IoT can create measurable value. This includes everything from hospital patient management to aviation operations and even retail inventory automation.

The Power of Strategic Collaboration

In recent years, Teknopalas became part of the Doğuş Teknoloji Group — a move that gives them a stronger operational and global backbone. This alliance combines Doğuş’s expansive reach and technical depth with Teknopalas’ agility and R&D-led innovation. It’s a strategic marriage built to scale.

In Kenya and Africa, their local distribution and implementation partner is Techmind Global, one of the most trusted technology enablers in East Africa. Together, they’re planning not just to sell hardware or software — but to build sustainable, localized ecosystems of digital transformation.

Why Kenya? Why Now?

When I asked Fahrettin why they chose Kenya as their launchpad for sub-Saharan Africa, his response was clear: Kenya is a hub — a vibrant and maturing technology ecosystem with deep mobile penetration, a strong talent pool, and a government that understands the power of digital transformation. Add to that a young population and rising demand for scalable innovation, and the decision was a no-brainer.

“We want to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s digital transformation journey,” he told me. “Kenya is the beginning of something long-term and impactful.”

Innovations That Matter

We talked about some of the most groundbreaking innovations Teknopalas has developed — like their UHF RFID library system, now a global standard, or a custom IoT communication protocol that allows for real-time vehicle tracking and remote decisioning. These aren’t theoretical ideas. These are proven technologies already transforming industries in Turkey, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

What’s exciting is that a demonstration of the Teknopalas IoT Experience Center will be happen during the IoT Summit — bringing those innovations directly to Nairobi.

The Role of IoT in Kenya’s and Africa’s Digital Leap Foward

Fahrettin believes IoT will be the invisible infrastructure behind Kenya’s and Africa’s next wave of growth — particularly in sectors like:

• Healthcare: Enabling patient tracking, smart hospitals, and real-time diagnostics
• Agriculture: Boosting yield and efficiency through smart irrigation and monitoring
• Logistics: Optimizing fleet operations, asset management, and warehouse automation
• Smart Cities: Building more intelligent and secure urban infrastructure

Their approach is not about creating dependence but enabling local innovation, through collaboration, training, and co-development.

Looking Ahead: The IoT Summit in Nairobi

On 19th June 2025, Nairobi will play host to a high-impact IoT Summit led by Techmind Global and featuring presentations by Teknopalas and Doğuş Teknoloji. Attendees can expect live demos, real-world use cases, and meaningful discussions around how IoT and RFID can accelerate Kenya’s digital ambitions.

This Summit won’t just be about showcasing products. It’s about demonstrating how data, connectivity, and automation can unlock efficiency, drive down costs, and create new opportunities at scale. If you would like to attend, please register online here:

Watch The Podcast: