Deadline Date: January 31, 2026
The African Impact Challenge empowers daring early innovators to solve African challenges with global potential, providing comprehensive support to build market-shaping, globally competitive businesses.
The focus areas and objectives include capacity building through virtual and self-paced venture support bootcamps, track-based venture funding via investments or grants, track-based programming to reach critical milestones, funded international market exposure with flights and accommodations covered, post-program investor support to access additional capital and scale further, and market access and partnerships to acquire customers and go-to-market partners.
Since its inception, the African Impact Challenge has trained over 7,000 founders and funded more than 100 businesses across 46 countries including Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, Egypt, Morocco, Uganda, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Nigeria. Support is provided through programs such as the Pan-African Health Entrepreneurship (HENT) stream for health tech ventures anywhere in Africa and the Country Innovation (CI) stream for ventures from a specific country each year, with Nigeria being the focus this year. Participants benefit from track-based funding, builder resources, a global network of innovators, and strategic partnerships, including with the University of Toronto.
The program is open to young Africans under 39 living in Africa who are committed to impact-focused entrepreneurship, solving critical problems with technology, and dedicating themselves full-time to building their ventures. Ventures may apply under the Country Innovation Stream for scalable ventures based in Nigeria across any sector, or under the Health Entrepreneurship Stream for Pan-African ventures enabling improved health outcomes.
For more information, visit African Impact Initiative.
