Qualcomm unveils startup selection for Qualcomm Make in Africa 2026

Qualcomm Incorporated has announced the selection of 10 startups for the fourth edition of its Qualcomm® Make in Africa Mentorship Program, reinforcing efforts to strengthen Africa’s deep-technology ecosystem.

The company stated that the program, under its Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform, is designed to provide mentorship and technical training focused on advanced connectivity and processing technologies, including Edge AI/ML, compute, IoT, and its AI development platform in collaboration with Arduino.

Qualcomm indicated that one startup will receive a Social Impact Fund grant through Qualcomm for Good at the program’s finale, while all participating startups will qualify for a $5,000 stipend upon successful completion of the programme.

The company further noted that participating startups will benefit from product design guidance on Arduino AI platforms, business coaching, engineering consultations, and intellectual property (IP) education through initiatives such as L2Pro Africa.

According to Qualcomm, the 2026 cohort was selected from over 1,200 applications across more than 45 African countries, reflecting growing interest and sophistication in the continent’s innovation ecosystem.

The selected startups operate across sectors including agriculture, assistive technology, smart cities, infrastructure, electric mobility, and education, with solutions leveraging advanced connectivity and processing technologies.

Qualcomm listed the selected startups as follows:

• Amperra Charging Company (Namibia), focused on AI-driven, grid-adaptive EV charging platforms
• Anatsor Ltd (Nigeria), offering digital poultry management systems
• D-Olivette Labs (Nigeria), providing bio-intelligence platforms for agriculture
• Mindora Corporation (Zimbabwe), developing Braille keyboard solutions
• MVUTU (Republic of the Congo), deploying solar-powered IoT cold storage
• QualiKeeper Investments Ltd (Zambia), delivering AIoT livestock monitoring systems
• SafeSip (Tanzania), building smart water monitoring solutions
• Sesi Technologies Ltd (Ghana), producing AI-powered cocoa quality assessment devices
• TWave Ltd (Uganda), offering automated solar-powered fish feeding systems
• Zerobionic (Kenya), developing assistive robotics solutions

Wassim Chourbaji, Senior Vice President and President for the Middle East and Africa at Qualcomm, stated that the increasing number and quality of applications highlight the rapid evolution of Africa’s innovation ecosystem.

He added that startups in the program are advancing the application of technologies such as Edge AI and 5G to scalable, real-world solutions, with Qualcomm supporting them from early-stage design through to commercialization.

Participants will receive edge AI-enabled hardware platforms from Arduino, alongside one-on-one technical mentorship and business advisory support.

Fabio Violante, Vice President and General Manager of Arduino at Qualcomm Technologies, said the platforms are designed to accelerate the transition from concept to deployable intelligent systems, enabling founders to build solutions directly within target environments such as farms, clinics, factories, and urban systems.

Qualcomm also stated that startups will receive engineering consultation support and guidance on IP protection, including patent filing assistance from Adams & Adams and access to IP training through L2Pro Africa.

The company noted that startups filing patents during the program may receive up to $5,000 in reimbursement for filing costs.

At the end of the mentorship cycle, Qualcomm said participants will be eligible for additional funding through its Social Impact Fund, aimed at supporting solutions with measurable societal and market impact.

Qualcomm further confirmed that the African Telecommunications Union will continue as a partner for the fourth consecutive year.

ATU Secretary General John Omo stated that the program aligns with the organisation’s mandate to ensure Africa’s telecommunications ecosystem delivers tangible benefits to its population, adding that the initiative equips innovators with the tools to address local challenges through advanced technology.

For more information about Qualcomm Make in Africa, please visit: https://www.qualcomm.com/company/locations/africa/qualcomm-make-in-africa

The post Qualcomm unveils startup selection for Qualcomm Make in Africa 2026 appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.

Read Full Story