Nairobi — Stakeholders in the startup ecosystem have called on successful entrepreneurs to pass on the knowledge and experience they have gained to new founders, to ensure the sustainable growth of the country's start ups.

According to data by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, nearly half a million startups close shop within the first year of operations, due to a variety of reasons which include lack of mentorship.

"Entrepreneurial success extends beyond profit and valuation -- true impact lies in paying it forward. At Endeavor, we call this the Multiplier Effect," said Maryanne Ochola the Managing Director, Endeavor Kenya.

Ms Ochola was speaking while announcing plans for an initiative between Endeavor Kenya, Endeavor Insight and Africa Practice, that seeks to conduct research on high-growth entrepreneurship in Kenya.

The research will assess companies in the entrepreneurial ecosystem using network mapping analysis -- a methodology that traces the flow of people, capital, and information between entrepreneurs.

It will focus on issues such as the historical growth trajectory of the country's start up ecosystem, the main challenges that founders of scaling companies face and how decision-makers can better support founder-led growth in the ecosystem

Ken Njoroge, a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Cellulant, emphasized the need for successful founders to mentor, inspire, and invest in the next generation, as this could amplify their impact across job creation, innovation, and ecosystem growth.

"For an emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem to grow, creating a successful business is not enough, it's also important that we set the groundwork for future entrepreneurs to succeed, thus creating a flywheel effect cycle of sustainable growth and influence," said Njoroge.

Over the years, Njoroge has inspired many employees at Cellulant, which he started in 2004 as a payments platform, to start their own entrepreneurial ventures.