Building intelligent connected systems from firmware to cloud.
Learn MoreEmmanuel Mariaria is an AIoT Solutions Architect, industrial technologist, and sustainability advocate passionate about building locally rooted yet globally competitive technology ecosystems in Africa. He is a strong proponent of Made-in-Africa, for Africa innovation, ensuring that technology development strengthens local economies, skills, and data sovereignty rather than extracting value from them. His work focuses on applying AIoT to real-world challenges across industrial automation, energy and resource monitoring, environmental systems, and resilient infrastructure, with sustainability embedded at the core of product design and deployment.
At Microsoft Garage, Emmanuel works as an AIoT Engineer, contributing to the building, testing, and training of the next generation of IoT and Microsoft AI tools. His role involves partaking in experimental product development, validating emerging AIoT architectures, and helping shape the broader AI ecosystem by enabling developers and organizations to adopt secure, scalable, and practical AI-driven solutions. Through this work, he bridges innovation with production-ready engineering, accelerating how AI and IoT move from concept to impact.
Emmanuel is also the Founder of Maabara Bunifu, where he has designed and deployed AIoT solutions used globally across wildlife conservation, smart industries, water infrastructure, and disaster-response systems. His platforms support sustainable industrialization and align with development goals such as the UN SDG on clean water and resilient communities. Through Maabara Bunifu, he focuses on delivering practical, scalable AIoT products that protect natural ecosystems, improve operational efficiency, and empower communities through technology built in Africa for global relevance.
Architecting microservices-based IoT platforms and translating business goals into scalable technology roadmaps
Recruiting, mentoring, and growing high-performing engineering teams across full-stack and IoT development
Delivering production-ready systems at pace, from MVP to scale, in fast-paced startup environments
Jan 2024 - Present | Maabara Bunifu - Infrastructure Lead
Architected and deployed scalable IoT infrastructure for electric bike fleet management. Designed microservices-based backend with MQTT messaging, real-time data dashboards, and multi-cloud deployment (Azure, AWS, Digital Ocean). Led technical roadmap, database optimization (MySQL, InfluxDB), and RESTful API development.
Leadership: System Architecture, Technical Roadmap, Team Leadership, Cloud Infrastructure Strategy, Client Technical Presentations
Apr - Nov 2025 | Maabara Bunifu
Product development of an AIoT vibration sensor for industrial vibrational analysis, featuring edge ML capabilities and comprehensive client presentation workflows.
Leadership: Product Development Lead, Client Communications, Design & Architecture
Aug 2025 - Present | Maabara Bunifu
Comprehensive NGO management platform with real-time tracking, analytics, and operational dashboards designed for non-profit organizations.
Role: Engineering Manager | View Live
May 2024 - Oct 2024 | Microsoft Garage
Market validation and development of a smart socket device with electromechanical design and API integration for the Windows team.
Role: AIoT Product Development Engineer Lead
Wildlife Monitoring Project
Led LoRa Network Infrastructure Design and oversaw its implementation at the Maasai Mara Reserve for wildlife monitoring and conservation efforts.
Industrial IoT Solution
Architected IoT devices and infrastructure for air quality detection and cloud analysis at a recycling plant, enabling real-time environmental monitoring.
Nov 2021 - Nov 2023
Developed smart product dispenser for sanitary products with IoT-enabled donations accountability tracking and real-time monitoring.
ALX Africa Competition
"Solterra" robot featuring ESP32 microcontroller, Bluetooth app control (C#), H-Bridge PWM-driven DC motors, and 3S Li-ion battery pack designed within competition constraints.
Innovative projects and training programs at Microsoft Garage, East Africa
QnA bot answering questions about Microsoft Garage based on documentation, resources and guard rails.
Robotics challenge activity with curated game rules, firmware development, and hardware preparation for Windows Team.
IoT training series at Microsoft Garage including Azure IoT Hub workshops and hands-on embedded systems sessions.
RAG AI integration project - built AI agent and car separately, both functional but awaiting code access for full integration.
Part of organizing team for AI trend discussions and testing new AI products. Facilitating sessions and inviting expert guests weekly.
Team matching, event flow planning, thematic advising on project categories, and technical training for participants.
ALX Alumni Workshop | November 12, 2025
Hands-on workshop on creating AI-powered pet planner agent using GitHub Copilot & AI Toolkit. 20 attendees participated in designing, configuring, and evaluating AI workflows.
View ResourcesMicrosoft Global Hackathon | East Africa
Interactive session on combining real-world sensor data with virtual simulations to unlock business insights through Digital Twin technology.
IEEE CASS Kenya Chapter Workshop | IEEE KSYP 2024
Case study presentation at The Panari Hotel on transforming concepts into market-ready IoT devices, featuring smart water-pump companion device example.
IEEE Gitex Summit | Alexandria, Egypt 2022
Presentation on AIoT trends and applications at the IEEE Global Conference on AI & IoT.
IEEE IoT | African Nazarene University
Educational session on IoT fundamentals and embedded systems for university students and tech enthusiasts.
2025 | Tunis, Tunisia
International presentation at IEEE Industrial Electronics Society Student & Young Professionals Congress.
Microsoft Garage, East Africa | 2024 - Present
Leading innovative projects bridging hardware and intelligent cloud services. Training, Windows team collaboration, organizing Tinkering Tuesdays IoT series, and facilitating Cafenova coffee talks on AI trends.
Maabara Bunifu Africa | 2021 - Present (4+ years)
Leading technical strategy and engineering execution for IoT consulting startup:
Kiri EV | Jan 2024 - Present
Technical leadership for electric bike fleet management platform:
Various Client Projects | 2021 - Present
Delivered IoT solutions for Elano Cloud (NGO management), Update International (AIoT industrial sensors), 51 Degrees Wildlife Conservancy (LoRa networks), Gjenge Makers (air quality monitoring), and more. Led technical roadmaps, team structuring, and full-cycle product development.
Gearbox IoT Platform | Multiple Projects
Architected solutions for smart greenhouses (KCB & Mastercard Foundation), industrial fire suppression sensors, and various IoT implementations. Led client consultations, team structuring, and project management.
Spectra - Global Winners
Provided expert guidance on fermentation/decomposition detection project using wavelength analysis of reflected light.