Temilola Giwa, a former Paystack Product Lead, has raised over $130,000 through Kickstarter for her ankle-based fitness tracker startup, Tru Count Inc.
Giwa recently launched a Kickstarter campaign hoping to raise a modest $7,000 to bring the product to market. Instead, she raised over $130,000, making Tru one of the most successful crowdfunding efforts by a Nigerian-led startup.
“The goal is to have a stylish accessory that tracks your fitness moves,” Giwa told Techpoint. “It’s like a sleek, really stylish piece of jewellery. We wanted to go as small as possible while keeping the technology accurate.”
What This Means
Unlike traditional wrist-worn trackers that rely on arm movement to count steps, Giwa says Tru is built for accuracy at the feet.
As Giwa discovered while using a treadmill desk at Paystack, many smartwatches fail to register motion when arms are stationary. Her sister and now co-founder, Tomilola Famuboni, faced the same issue while pushing a baby stroller.
“She’s an engineer, and I work in tech. So, we thought, ‘Why not create our own tracker?’” Giwa says. “Our target audience is mainly women. We didn’t set out with that focus, but we discovered that women faced this problem the most. There are simply not enough women designing for women.”
Their engineering-meets-product-design approach resulted in a 10mm-wide, waterproof, hypoallergenic tracker that blends seamlessly with jewellery, available as anklets, bracelets, or even pendants.
“One of the challenges we faced was figuring out the hardware. We had to ask ourselves, ‘Is this even possible?’ We went through numerous iterations regarding the design, shape, and size.” Giwa says.
Why It Matters
Industry leaders say the innovation is not only a win for women in tech, but a critical signal for Nigeria’s evolving hardware ecosystem.
According to product analysts, Tru’s greatest innovation is how it blends accuracy, comfort, and aesthetics without compromise. Most trackers rely heavily on wrist movement, which can skew data.
The device is hypoallergenic, waterproof. Tru can slot into anklets, pendants or bracelets, giving users the freedom to wear it as they choose. Experts say this gives Tru an edge in a market where design often comes last.
Is Tru Necessary?
Analysts argue that Tru is addressing a real, underserved segment of the wearable tech market. Despite a projected global wearable industry value of over $130 billion by 2030, many users remain dissatisfied with existing options.
Experts add that Tru’s potential isn’t limited to fitness alone. With its open-ended design and proprietary app, the device could extend into women’s health, lifestyle tracking, or even workplace wellness.
Critics, however, caution that scaling will be Tru’s biggest test. While the Kickstarter success is encouraging, hardware margins are tight and global logistics are brutal.
Industry observers note that Giwa’s background in both product strategy and operational logistics prepared her for the unique challenge of launching a physical device.
Giwa’s next challenge is turning this into a sustainable global brand. But according to those who’ve tracked her journey, she’s already changed the narrative, by showing that African women can build globally relevant, category-defining tech, and lead from the front.
Competitor Startups
Several startups across Africa are pioneering innovations in wearable and fitness technology, creating a competitive landscape for emerging players like Tru.
Egypt’s Bypa-ss, for example, and others including Kenya’s Enda Athletic, MamaOpe from Kenya and Deep Medical Therapeutics in South Africa are all pioneering wearable-adjacent technologies across the continent.
Talking Points
It is remarkable that Temilola Giwa, a former Paystack Product Lead, has raised over $130,000 on Kickstarter for Tru, an ankle-based fitness tracker. This level of traction speaks not just to the appeal of the product, but to the global appetite for truly inclusive wearable tech.
At Techparley, we see how this sort of engineering-meets-empathy approach is vital for the next evolution of consumer hardware from African founders.
Tru represents more than a fitness tool; it’s a statement about how inclusive design can unlock new market opportunities.
Giwa’s story marks a turning point. She’s not only building a global brand from Nigeria, but also reframing what’s possible for African women in tech hardware.
The next 12–18 months will be critical in proving Tru’s staying power beyond its Kickstarter success.
