Nairobi’s emergence as a regional technology powerhouse makes it a fitting choice to host Africa’s most important innovation gathering in 2025. From October 7th to 9th, the city will welcome innovators, investors, policymakers and ecosystem builders to the 10th AfriLabs Annual Gathering, an event that continues to shape Africa’s entrepreneurial future. With its thriving startup scene, world-class innovation hubs and progressive digital policy environment, Kenya represents the best of what’s possible when ecosystems are empowered to flourish.
This year’s gathering will address key issues such as investment access, inclusive growth and policy reform. These issues will offer African entrepreneurs a platform not only to be heard but to influence real change. As Africa looks toward building a future rooted in knowledge, technology and collaboration, Nairobi 2025 is set to become a powerful launchpad for the next generation of innovation leaders.
A Decade of Growth
AfriLabs has come a long way since its founding in 2011. What began with five founding hubs, NaiLab and iHub in Kenya, Hive Colab in Uganda, Banta Labs in Senegal and ActivSpaces in Cameroon, has grown into a dynamic network of over 500 innovation hubs spanning 53 African countries. These hubs are more than shared spaces; they are active engines of economic development. They provide African entrepreneurs with co-working facilities, business training, legal and financial guidance, mentorship and access to new markets.
Over the past decade, AfriLabs has directly impacted over 2.1 million innovators and enablers, supported over 10,800 innovation-focused initiatives and catalyzed incentive-based programs valued at more than $339 million. Even more impressively, 70% of these initiatives have supported women-focused projects, helping to close gender gaps in entrepreneurship, technology and investment across Africa.
This 10th gathering is not just a celebration, it is a call to chart the next chapter. AfriLabs is focused on consolidating its role as a policy influencer, innovation builder and global connector. And for entrepreneurs, this means stepping into an ecosystem that is now more coordinated, better resourced and more capable than ever of supporting scalable growth.
What to Expect in Nairobi
The 2025 gathering will be designed with intentionality. Entrepreneurs attending can expect an immersive three-day experience full of masterclasses, roundtable discussions, founder showcases and networking opportunities with investors, donors and policymakers. However, what sets AfriLabs apart is its ability to translate conversations into action.
Through carefully curated sessions, the event will focus on unlocking solutions to critical challenges such as access to capital, gender inclusion, infrastructure gaps and policy fragmentation. These are the real pain points for many African entrepreneurs and addressing them at scale requires not only dialogue, but commitment from diverse stakeholders.
Entrepreneurs will be able to explore and contribute to sessions on emerging issues like climate-resilient innovation, cross-border scaling and digital public infrastructure, the latter being a key driver in how citizens and startups engage with government services and data. More importantly, the gathering will serve as a space to announce new partnerships, funding opportunities and community-driven initiatives.
Previous editions have led to tangible outcomes, including cross-border incubation programs, new policy frameworks and strategic alliances that continued long after the event ended. The Nairobi edition is poised to deepen these outcomes further, especially given Kenya’s reputation as an innovation leader.
AfriLabs Connect: The Engine Behind the Gathering
While the Annual Gathering is the flagship event, it is only one part of a much larger ecosystem. Central to AfriLabs’ ongoing success is AfriLabs Connect, a platform that ensures year-round engagement between members, hubs, startups and stakeholders. It serves as a bridge between physical gatherings, enabling digital collaboration, joint projects and shared research.
AfriLabs Connect helps amplify success stories and creates a pipeline for startups to access mentorship, investors and global exposure. For entrepreneurs working in remote areas or emerging markets within Africa, this platform ensures they are not left behind. It also supports hubs to improve operational capacity and remain responsive to local economic realities.
Beyond digital tools, AfriLabs also continues to lead in areas such as policy advocacy, research and capacity building. Through evidence-based engagement, AfriLabs has successfully influenced innovation-friendly legislation and funding allocations. Its research arm contributes critical insights into market trends, funding gaps and regional dynamics, providing innovators with data that can guide their decision-making and strategy.
Meanwhile, tailored training programs and expert-led masterclasses ensure that entrepreneurs and hubs are not only reacting to change but proactively shaping it. Whether it’s a workshop on investor readiness or a regional analysis on venture capital trends, AfriLabs delivers what matters to entrepreneurs on the ground.
A Diverse, Expert-Driven Community
At the heart of AfriLabs is its community, an interconnected, skilled and passionate network that has built the foundation for a truly Pan-African innovation ecosystem. With thousands of experts working in more than 220 cities across the continent, AfriLabs brings unmatched reach and relevance to every initiative. These experts, ranging from project managers and data scientists to legal advisors and researchers, ensure that projects are context-aware, impactful and scalable.
Every program designed or supported by AfriLabs integrates local insight with global standards, which is why it has become a trusted partner for development agencies, governments, NGOs and investors alike. Whether helping a green tech startup navigate local regulation or guiding a youth-led fintech to its first round of funding, AfriLabs’ experts make innovation more accessible and sustainable.
This work is coordinated by a lean but effective executive leadership team that ensures the network remains focused on its mission: to empower African innovators, foster collaboration and support entrepreneurship as a driving force of development.
The Future Starts in Nairobi
With its tenth anniversary on the horizon, AfriLabs is not slowing down, it is accelerating. Nairobi will not only celebrate what has been built but it will also set the tone for what lies ahead. The coming years will require deeper cooperation between countries, smarter policy harmonization and sustained support for entrepreneurs solving Africa’s biggest challenges, from healthcare access and education to climate adaptation and digital inclusion.
As AfriLabs continues to grow, its ability to convene, catalyze and co-create becomes more valuable. Entrepreneurs attending the Annual Gathering in 2025 are not just participants, they are partners in building Africa’s innovation future. Whether they are a first-time founder, a seasoned investor or a community leader running a hub in a small town, Nairobi will be their space to connect, grow and lead.
The AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2025 is more than a landmark event. It is an invitation. An invitation to dream bigger, to collaborate across borders and to build businesses that change lives. For those ready to shape what comes next for Africa’s digital and innovation economy, Nairobi is the place to be and the future is already on its way.
