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The Africa Tech Startup Forum is a collaboration of 3 key international partners Ndarama Works, Catalyze and Korea Startup Forum supported by the leading tech incubation training partner UVU Africa.
Program Partners
Ndarama Works is a regional African advisory consultancy and project management firm, co-founded in 2012 by accomplished Pan-African scholar-practitioner / businessman Dr. Golden Mahove and women’s economic empowerment advocate, Precious Nontsikelelo Mahove. With 25 years of experience in market systems development, agribusiness development, value chain analysis and multi-country projects supporting market linkages, our aim is to see you and your business thrive.
Catalyze is a leading engagement agency, specialising in international trade events and business matchmaking; creating and facilitating opportunities for companies in key industries to connect across the globe. Alongside our core team, we have built strong relationships with a variety of specialists that enable us to meet our clients’ needs; these include web developers, photographers, videographers, translators, animators, and more.
Korea Startup Forum (KSF) was founded in September 2016 with 50 Startups to support the continuous growth of startups and build a robust startup ecosystem advocating the common interest. In April 2018, it was reborn as an authorized nonprofit organization under the approval of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups(MSS). It is The KSF is the nation’s largest startup membership organization with active members of more than 2,246 Startups and partners. It runs various startup support programs, improving the business environment for its members.
UVU Africa work with bold and ambitious talent, and alongside visionary partners to design and build future-fit, inclusive societies through innovation and technology. A non-profit organisation, we are extending our impact and presence across Africa by driving inclusive growth of the digital economy through business incubation, acceleration, skills development and by creating specialised innovation clusters across the continent.
Community Partner
Supporting Partners
Adaverse is a Web3 Accelerator, Seed Fund, and venture builder that supports founders through funding and mentorship. With a portfolio of 60 investments, including 20 accelerated startups spanning 13 countries, Adaverse covers a diverse range of sectors within the Web3 landscape. Adaverse stands at the forefront of the Web3 revolution, guiding founders from the ideation stage through development, acceleration, and ultimately scaling their promising ventures in the ever-evolving realm of Web3.
Jedar Capital is a Pan African early stage VC fund, the company was founded in 2021 by a veteran tech operator who turned investor, made 15 investments across Africa so far. The fund focus on early stage startups from pre-seed to Series A with a mandate around digitizing trade and finance across the continent, we back startups in logistics, supply chain, fintech, B2B SaaS, AI enabled tech platforms and ecommerce enabling platforms.
Flat6Labs is MENA’s leading seed and early stage venture capital firm, investing annually in over 100 tech startups and becoming institutional co-founders. Managing seed funds with a total AUM over $95M, it attracts investments from over 25 institutions. Offering investments from $50K to $500K, Flat6Labs supports startups from Pre-Seed to Pre-Series A stages. Their programs cater to entrepreneurs, providing support services and connections to mentors, investors, and corporates.
Briter Bridges is the leading market intelligence firm focused on innovation and investment across Africa and emerging markets, regularly supporting corporates, investors, media, governments, and academics in understanding the business landscape in these geographies. Briter’s research, reports and data platform Briter Intelligence is regularly used as a reference point by thousands of academics, journalists, investors, and professionals worldwide.
The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) is a statutory body established under the Information and Communication Technologies Act No. 15 of 2009 to regulate the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. ZICTA is also responsible for the regulation the Postal and Courier Services sector as well as providing oversight on Cyber Security in the country.
Founded in 1995 Silicon Overdrive has over 25 years of experience as a leading IT Managed Services business. We have significant experience and expertise in helping customers migrate secure modernize optimize and manage their AWS workloads as well as achieve and maintain their compliance requirements. We have been awarded AWS System Integrator Partner of the Year Sub-Saharan Africa 2023 AWS Public Sector Partner of the Year Sub-Saharan Africa 2021 and AWS Consulting Partner of the Year Sub-Saharan Africa 2020.
Hapa Space is a dynamic tech innovation hub dedicated to supporting the youth in Kumasi through entrepreneurial, employability, and business development services. Our mission is to empower young entrepreneurs to create successful and sustainable businesses that contribute to economic development and positive impact in the region. We place a strong emphasis on leveraging technology to drive innovation and growth. At Hapa Space, we offer co-working spaces, mentorship, coaching, and business development programs designed to nurture a vibrant ecosystem where ideas can flourish. By providing the necessary resources and support, we help young innovators turn their visions into reality, fostering a community that thrives on creativity and collaboration.
4 Collective is a leading venture capital firm revolutionising investment and scaling idea to early-stage ventures throughout Africa. We are a commercial-first investor that embeds impact into everything we do. Our catalytic capital provides founders with the tailored funding they need to scale while providing investors with outstanding returns. The catalytic capital our founders receive is combined with value-add support through our Venture Success Platform, enabling entrepreneurs to build without boundaries as they solve Africa’s greatest challenges. Vital to our mission is fostering gender inclusion through the founders and ventures we support, allowing them to be inclusive in their product and service design.
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University is a hub of education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship, aspiring to become a solid bridge of knowledge between Morocco, Africa and the world. Located in the “Mohammed VI Green City” in Benguerir, near Marrakech, UM6P applies a “learning by doing” approach and develops sound partnerships with world-wide class universities, to promote leadership and training in focused research areas. By contributing to the training of a new generation of Moroccan and African researchers, entrepreneurs and leaders, UM6P is committed to positioning Morocco as a country at the forefront of technology and human Sciences.
Sunny Side Venture Partners invests in early-stage startups in Africa and Middle East, especially focusing on North Africa from Fund 1 as the first Asian VC based in Cairo, Egypt.
Launched in 2022, the VC has invested close to 20 startups with a sector-agnostic approach across the region.
At Jambaar Capital, we’re not just a venture capital firm, we’re a catalyst for Africa’s tech revolution. With a dynamic female-led team, we partner with visionary founders in critical sectors, driving forward Africa’s expansion with a global and sustainable perspective. Our mission is clear: to empower visionary founders to create impactful companies that redefine Africa’s future. With a commitment to responsible, gender-balanced, and sustainable investing, we pave the way for transformative growth that uplifts communities.
BABEG is the business & innovation agency in Carinthia, the South of Austria. We support companies, entrepreneurs and start-ups with their expansion into the EU markets and our service is free of charge. Carinthia is in a strategic and central location offering a cost-efficient market entry into EU markets. The region has specialised in the semiconductor industry, robotics & drones as well as circular economy & green construction. Carinthia has innovation hubs in these focus sectors, which connect business, research and education. BABEG supports you from the market research to decision-making and implementation. Generous funding programmes for investment and research & development as well as world-leading companies and research institutions (such as Infineon, LAM Research & co.) await you in the South of Austria.
Media Partners
Disrupt Africa provides comprehensive news, information, and commentary on the continent’s tech startup and investment ecosystem. With journalists exploring the continent to feature innovative tech startups, Disrupt Africa showcases promising businesses and ideas. Readers stay updated on tech hubs, accelerator programs, and tech events across Africa.
VC4A is the leading platform supporting entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and business professionals strengthening the startup community in Africa, Latin America and beyond since 2007. The entrepreneurs VC4A exists to support contribute up to two-thirds of national GDP and provide the foundation for a stable middle class.
IT News Africa stands as the pinnacle of technology news in Africa, dedicated to delivering essential business technology news to senior IT professionals. With a keen eye on the pulse of the industry, we provide comprehensive coverage on pivotal topics such as digital transformation, cloud computing, cybersecurity, FinTech, and beyond.
F6S is the world’s leading startup community, helping founders and startups tackle social, economic, environmental, sustainability, and innovation issues. Collaborating with corporates, governments, and the global startup ecosystem, F6S promotes company growth through funding, investments, pilot contracts, grants, partnerships, jobs, talent, and services.
Supporting ESOs
Nile Venture Lab (NVL) project is a 3-year project implemented by Aswan University and funded by Academy for Scientific research and technology with a budget of 8 million Egyptian pounds. The project started on 15/5/2021 and implemented 3 cycles of incubation program that incubated 14 green energy startups in a time span of 3 years. The mission of Nile Venture Lab is promoting economic development in under-served communities throughout Upper Egypt. NVL provide services to youth and women to transform their entrepreneurial concepts into sustainable businesses that are drivers of economic growth. Nile Venture Lab most important goal is to empower the incubated startups to succeed in a competitive market.
TECHFARM Hub is a Pan-African entrepreneurship, social innovation and business development hub promoting disruptive knowledge, skills, technologies and resources to support entrepreneurs, innovators, startups, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to upscale opportunities with specific focus on boosting smart green and circular economy opportunities towards promoting sustainable development, Agenda 2063 and Africa Free Continental Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in Ghana and Africa. TECHFARM Hub provides tailored support services to entrepreneurs, startups and MSMEs to incubate disruptive ideas, upscale various innovative solutions, access funding and markets, accelerate growth into productive and profitable ventures locally and globally.
INNOVATION SPARK AFRICA’It’s said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” But isn’t it better if we all rally and support those with dreams to transform our societies and the globe at large? This is the question that converged a dynamic co-founding team of Innovation Spark Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, a year ago. Our mission is to champion innovation through inspiring belief in imaginations, capacity building, marketing, and rallying local and international investors to finance technological innovations!
The future needs our diverse input; we are the people. Join us, and let’s make it happen!
Kyusa is an Entrepreneur Support Organisation (ESO) that provides business training, coaching and incubation for micro and small businesses in low-income communities.
We support the creation, improve the survival rate, and accelerate the growth of micro and small enterprises (MSE). We provide business support services that enable entrepreneurs to develop personal skills, business competencies, support networks, and access to market opportunities.
Vatebra Tech Hub, an innovation hub powered by the Bank of Industry, serves as a vibrant community hub for startups, visionaries, and tech enthusiasts. With a dedicated focus on enhancing Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, we work to promote the widespread adoption of digital technology through initiatives such as digital skills training, startup programs, and infrastructure support.We provide founders within our community with invaluable advisory support and facilitate connections with corporate partners and potential investors. At Vatebra Tech Hub, we are dedicated to nurturing innovation and driving forward the technological landscape in Nigeria.
Barbara Birungi Mutabazi is the co-founder and first managing director of Hive Colab, Uganda’s pioneering tech innovation hub. She developed Hive Colab into the nation’s leading innovation hub, forming partnerships with Microsoft, Intel, and Google, and raising over $1M. Barbara established the hub’s virtual incubation, overseeing 30+ projects, and has created strategic plans, business models, and fundraising initiatives. As Uganda’s Country Manager for SPRING ACCELERATOR, she supported adolescent girls through DFID, USAID, and Nike Foundation projects. She holds an MSc in Information Systems Management, a bachelor’s in Business Computing, and a postgraduate diploma in project planning.
We invest in young African innovators and startups building the future. Our mission is to build a pipeline of ethical digital talents and investment-ready technology enabled African startups. Our venture building programs first seeks to empower the entrepreneurwith the mindset, attitude and skillset required to build sustainable and investment ready startups. Our entrepreneurship programs include NodeY Incubator, 8 Fellowship, Eight Accelerator, Node X, Entrepreneurship trainings.
Mkazipreneur, established in 2018, is a dynamic social enterprise and community platform dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs. We provide the essential skills, tools, and resources needed for women to thrive in their businesses. Additionally, we support unemployed women in starting small businesses to generate income. Through strategic funding and partnerships, Mkazipreneur has provided pro bono training to over 10,000 female entrepreneurs. We have successfully transitioned non-tech-enabled women-led SMEs into technologically adept enterprises while connecting them to capital and markets for business advancement. By June 2024, Mkazipreneur has unlocked over $900,000 in seed funding for women-owned businesses in the community, reinforcing our commitment to fostering economic growth and empowerment for women.
At Botlhale Village, we harness the power of technology to unlock innovative solutions and drive meaningful change within the community. Our mission lives at the intersection of innovation and empowerment and is anchored in the belief that technology should be used as a catalyst for positive change, not just locally, but across the globe. Enhancing our vibrant ecosystem, we blend custom software development services seamlessly with our incubator program to create a cohesive platform for emerging startups seeking bespoke technological solutions and robust support, showcasing our commitment to the success of emerging ventures and the advancement of technological innovation.
Apollo Segawa, Executive Director of CURAD (Consortium for Enhancing University Responsiveness for Agribusiness Development), leads a public-private partnership focused on nurturing innovative agribusiness entrepreneurs. With expertise in food science, value addition, and quality management, Segawa has worked with organizations like the University of Johannesburg, Uganda Development Corporation (UDC), Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI), and Jakana Foods. He is also the chairman of the Agribusiness Incubation Alliance of Uganda (ABIAU), reflecting his commitment to advancing agribusiness productivity and leadership.
United Social Ventures believes the best way to bridge the pioneer gap is to provide a pathway for entrepreneurs to build social start-ups that are ready for, and attractive to, funders. This is achieved through global best-practice trainings – based on a toolkit with 100+ hours of content, grounded in Human Centered Design and Lean Start-Up, as well as 8 years of experience with young entrepreneurs in Uganda – and ongoing low cost advisory support to innovative young entrepreneurs which makes it accessible from the very start of their journeys.
The Ghana Hubs Network serves as the umbrella organization for innovation, technology and hubs in Ghana. Member hubs provide, skills development, ideation, incubation, accelerations, co-working, makerspace, and solutions provision services.
AB4IR is a Digital Innovation Hub empowering NEET youth, women, people with disabilities, and marginalized communities through technology. We offer training, business incubation, and mentorship in ICT and creative industries to bridge gender, digital, and racial gaps. Our programs include the Digital Youth Festival and Women in ICT and Technology Summit (W-WIITS) to enhance digital skills and inclusivity. We also run the Kid Coders program, introducing 10- to 15-year-olds to coding and inspiring future tech innovators.