Ten African startups have been selected for the prestigious 2025 Qualcomm Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Program, an initiative aimed at nurturing early-stage tech companies tackling Africa’s most pressing challenges.
The program, run by Qualcomm a global leader in wireless technology provides training, technical support and business mentorship to help startups grow without taking any equity in return.
This year, over 400 startups from across the continent applied, but only 10 were selected, each bringing forward innovative solutions in sectors ranging from agriculture and climate change to healthcare and transportation. Notably, the selected startups are using artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), the Internet of Things (IoT) and solar technologies to create scalable, local solutions with global relevance.
Although no startup from Rwanda made the final list this year, the country remains an active part of Qualcomm’s broader innovation network in Africa. The selection highlights the continent’s rising tech talent and entrepreneurial energy, despite limited access to capital and infrastructure in many regions.
Among the 10 selected are:
- Aframend (Nigeria): Using AI and African medicinal plants to accelerate drug discovery for local health needs.
- AmalXR (Tunisia): Offering AI-powered VR physical rehabilitation with real-time patient progress tracking.
- Archeos (Benin): Automating fish farming with solar and IoT systems to maintain water quality and feeding schedules.
- ClimatrixAI (Nigeria): Providing hyperlocal flood risk predictions using AI, helping communities prepare for climate shocks.
- Ecobees (Tunisia): Monitoring hive health and environmental conditions to protect Africa’s declining bee populations.
- Edulytics (Senegal): Detecting liver disease using mobile ultrasound devices powered by AI—bringing diagnostics to remote areas.
- Farmer Lifeline (Kenya): Deploying solar-powered AI robots to identify crop diseases and pests before they spread.
- Pixii Motors (Tunisia): Building electric scooters with smart battery management and swap stations for urban transport.
- Pollen Patrollers (Kenya): Combatting hive collapse with AI/IoT-driven precision pollination systems.
- Solar Freeze (Kenya): Offering solar-powered cold storage units to reduce food spoilage for smallholder farmers.
What makes the program stand out is its Social Impact Fund, offered through the Qualcomm® Wireless Reach™ Initiative. One standout startup will receive a significant grant to further its impact, while the remaining nine will receive stipends to support their development. Importantly, Qualcomm takes no ownership stake, making the support truly entrepreneur-focused.
This is a critical model for African entrepreneurship, where founders often face tough choices between accessing funding and maintaining control over their ventures.
The 2025 cohort is a reflection of how African entrepreneurs are leapfrogging traditional development paths by integrating cutting-edge technologies into grassroots solutions. Whether it’s smart fish farms in Benin or AI diagnostics in Senegal, these ventures show that African tech is not just catching up it’s leading in meaningful innovation.
For investors, ecosystem builders and governments, this signals a growing need to support local talent with resources that go beyond funding mentorship, technology access and flexible partnerships will be key.
