US technology firm Qualcomm has announced the selection of 10 startups for the 2026 edition of its Qualcomm Make in Africa Mentorship Programme, an equity-free initiative aimed at strengthening Africa’s deep-technology ecosystem through mentorship, training, and intellectual property support. The programme is part of the Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform and focuses on advanced technologies such as Edge AI, machine learning, IoT, compute systems, and AI development platforms built on Arduino technologies.
The 2026 cohort was selected from a record 1,200 applications received from more than 45 African countries, reflecting growing interest in deep-tech innovation across the continent. According to Qualcomm, the startups were chosen based on their ability to develop end-to-end solutions using advanced connectivity and processing technologies, with applications spanning agriculture, assistive technology, smart cities, utilities, EV transport, aquaculture, infrastructure, and education.
The selected startups include Amperra Charging Company of Namibia, which is developing an AI-driven grid-adaptive EV charging platform for scalable electric mobility, and Anatsor Ltd of Nigeria, which is building a digital poultry management system to improve productivity and farm health tracking. Others include D-Olivette Labs of Nigeria, which focuses on bio-intelligence tools for sustainable agriculture; Mindora Corporation of Zimbabwe, which has developed a Braille keyboard to improve digital access for visually impaired users; and MVUTU of the Republic of the Congo, which is working on a solar-powered IoT cold storage solution to reduce post-harvest losses.
Additional startups include QualiKeeper Investments Ltd of Zambia, which is developing an AIoT livestock monitoring system for low-connectivity rural environments; SafeSip of Tanzania, which is building a smart water access and monitoring solution for safe drinking water; Sesi Technologies Ltd of Ghana, which has created an AI-powered field device for early cocoa quality assessment and transparent supply chains; TWave Ltd of Uganda, which is working on an automated solar-powered fish feeding system to improve aquaculture productivity; and Zerobionic of Kenya, which is developing assistive robotics solutions for persons with disabilities.
Speaking at the announcement, Wassim Chourbaji, President for Middle East and Africa and Senior Vice President for Government Affairs (EMEA) at Qualcomm, said the cohort reflects the growing sophistication of African innovation. He noted that the increase in applications and quality of solutions demonstrates how African startups are pushing the boundaries of technologies such as Edge AI and 5G, adding that Qualcomm is committed to supporting their journey from early design stages to commercial deployment.
Participants will receive Arduino-based edge-AI development platforms, technical mentorship, and business coaching to accelerate product development. Fabio Violante, Vice President and General Manager at Arduino, said the tools provided would help founders rapidly transform ideas into working intelligent systems by integrating perception, decision-making, and actuation on a single affordable platform, enabling deployment in real-world environments such as farms, clinics, factories, and cities.
The programme also includes engineering consultations, business coaching, and intellectual property support through L2Pro Africa, alongside patent filing guidance from Adams & Adams, a leading African intellectual property law firm. Startups that file patents during the programme may receive reimbursement of up to $5,000 in filing fees, while all participants will be eligible for a $5,000 stipend upon successful completion of programme requirements.
The African Telecommunications Union (ATU) has renewed its partnership with the programme for a fourth consecutive year. Secretary General John Omo said the initiative aligns with Africa’s goal of ensuring its telecommunications ecosystem directly serves its people by empowering innovators with cutting-edge technologies to solve local challenges. He added that the ATU continues to support the programme because of the high quality of startups it produces and its impact on Africa’s digital transformation agenda.
At the end of the mentorship cycle, one startup will receive a Social Impact Fund grant through Qualcomm for Good, supporting societal and market impact through wireless technology solutions. The programme continues to position itself as a key platform for nurturing African deep-tech startups by combining funding opportunities, technical mentorship, and global industry exposure.
