Now in its third year, the Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform continues to drive impact across the continent by mentoring and supporting startups working on cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, Edge-AI/ML, computing, and IoT.
This year's program saw an overwhelming response, with nearly 435 applications submitted from innovators across 19 African countries.
After careful selection, ten promising startups were chosen for the Qualcomm Make in Africa 2025 cohort.
These startups will now embark on an incubation journey where they will receive mentorship, technical guidance, business coaching, and support in product developmentâ€"including access to engineering consultations and hardware platforms.
They will also be guided on how to protect and commercialize their intellectual property.
The ten selected startups represent a diverse array of solutions and sectors.
They include Nigeria's Aframend, which is using AI for drug discovery based on African phytochemicals, and ClimatrixAI, which is building hyperlocal flood prediction systems.
Tunisia is represented by AmalXR, offering AI-driven VR rehabilitation, Pixii Motors, an electric scooter company focused on battery optimization, and Ecobees, an AI solution for monitoring hive health.
Kenya contributes three entries: Farmer Lifeline, with solar-powered AI pest detection robots, Solar Freeze, which tackles post-harvest food loss through solar IoT cold storage, and Pollen Patrollers, focused on AI-assisted precision pollination.
Senegal's Edulytics is using mobile AI to detect liver fibrosis via ultrasound, while Archeos from Benin is revolutionizing fish farming through solar-powered IoT automation.
In a show of continued support for innovation with societal impact, Qualcomm has confirmed that the startups will be eligible for the Qualcomm Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund at the conclusion of their mentorship cycle.
One startup will be awarded funding for its exceptional use of wireless technology to address community needs, while the remaining nine will receive development stipends to further scale their solutions.
Complementing the incubation program is L2Pro Africa, Qualcomm's IP education platform launched in partnership with leading intellectual property law firm Adams and Adams.
The online platform offers free training to African startups, SMEs, and researchers on how to protect and manage their innovations.
The recently updated platform now includes patent and trademark filing guides for key markets such as Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, and the African regional patent bodies ARIPO and OAPIâ€"covering 43 countries in total.
To date, over 135 African learners have enrolled, with several alumni of the Qualcomm Make in Africa program already initiating their own patent filings.
Wassim Chourbaji, SVP and President of Qualcomm MEA and SVP of Government Affairs for EMEA, praised this year's selection of startups, describing them as a powerful reflection of the continent's rising innovation ecosystem.
'This year's cohort of deep technology startups is a testament to Africa's burgeoning innovation landscape,' he said. 'By leveraging Qualcomm's cellular, IoT, and edge-AI technologies, these startups are poised to revolutionize agriculture, sustainability, climate change, transportation, and healthcare. We are honored to support their journey toward creating transformative solutions for a better future.'
John Omo, Secretary General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), echoed the excitement, highlighting ATU's strategic partnership with Qualcomm and calling on broader collaboration to bring African-led technologies to life.
'Innovation is the engine of Africa's future, and it is clear the ten startups in this year's cohort exemplify its power,' he said. 'While ATU works to align spectrum policy, regional standards, and open-data practices so that new technologies move quickly from lab to market, we also recognize that real progress demands a broad coalition. We therefore call on governments, academia, investors, and industry to back these venturesâ€"and every initiative that puts African ingenuity first.'
IGIHE
