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Qualcomm Incorporated today announced the selection of 10 startups for its fourth year of the Qualcomm® Make in Africa Mentorship Program. This initiative is part of the Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform, which supports the development of Africa’s deep-technology ecosystem. It provides mentorship and training programs, with a focus on advanced connectivity and processing technologies such as Edge AI/ML, compute, IoT, and Qualcomm’s AI development platform from Arduino.
At the program’s Finale, one startup will be awarded a Social Impact Fund grant from Qualcomm for Good, while all participating startups will be eligible for a $5,000 stipend upon successful completion of program requirements, and Qualcomm provides the startups with a variety of resources such as product design guidance on Arduino AI platforms, business coaching, access to engineering consultation, and free IP education such as L2Pro Africa.
For this year’s edition of the one-of-a-kind equity-free African mentorship program, 10 early-stage startups were chosen from a record number of over 1,200 applications from over 45 African countries, based on their ability to apply advanced connectivity and processing technologies to innovative end-to-end systems solutions. The industries represented by the startups include agriculture, assistive technology, smart cities and utilities, smart infrastructure, EV transportation, and education.
Notably, Zambia is represented by QualiKeeper Investments Ltd, which is developing an affordable AIoT livestock monitoring system tailored for low-connectivity rural environments, helping address key challenges in agriculture and livestock management.
“This year’s startups’ achievements are a powerful testament to Africa’s flourishing innovation ecosystem,” said Wassim Chourbaji, President, Middle East and Africa, and Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Europe, Middle East and Africa at Qualcomm. “Four years into Qualcomm Make in Africa, what stands out is not only the growing number of applications we receive, but the increasing sophistication of the solutions being built. These startups are pushing the boundaries of what technologies such as Edge AI and 5G can enable, and how they can be deployed at scale across the continent. Qualcomm is proud to support and help guide this next wave of African high-tech innovation, from early design and product development to real-world commercialization, and I look forward to seeing where these startups go next.”
Participants will receive free edge-AI capable platforms from Arduino, alongside 1:1 technical mentorship and business coaching. “Arduino® UNO™ Q and the upcoming Arduino® VENTUNO™ Q give the 2026 Qualcomm Make in Africa cohort a fast path from idea to intelligent machine,” said Fabio Violante, Vice President and General Manager of Arduino, Qualcomm Technologies Inc. “By bringing perception, decision-making, and actuation onto a single, affordable board, founders can prototype and deploy edge‑AI solutions directly where challenges exist — in farms, clinics, factories, and cities.”
They will also access engineering consultations for product development and guidance on protecting intellectual property. This includes patent filing consultation from Adams & Adams, Africa’s leading IP law firm, and free IP courses through L2Pro Africa – an IP e-learning platform designed to empower startups, SMEs, and researchers in Africa to protect, secure, and maximize their innovations.
At the end of the mentorship cycle, startups will be eligible for the Social Impact Fund through Qualcomm for Good, supporting societal and market impact through wireless technology. All participants will also receive a $5,000 stipend upon successful program completion. Finally, those who file patents during the program can claim up to $5,000 in filing fee reimbursements.
Reflecting the program’s relevance across the continent, the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) returns as a partner for the fourth consecutive year. “The ATU’s key mandate is to ensure that Africa’s telecommunications ecosystem serves Africa’s people. Qualcomm Make in Africa embodies that same principle by putting cutting-edge technology directly in the hands of African innovators to solve African challenges. Having seen firsthand the quality of the startups this program produces, returning as a partner in 2026 was not a question of if, but of how we could deepen our contribution. We look forward to seeing this cohort carry that work forward,” said Secretary General John Omo.
For more information about Qualcomm Make in Africa, please visit: https://www.qualcomm.com/company/locations/africa/qualcomm-make-in-africa
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