Catalyzing Our Deep Tech Ecosystem: A Recap of the Africa Deep Tech Conference 2026
"This conference was different...."
The Africa Deep Tech Conference 2026 recently concluded in Lagos, Nigeria, serving as a landmark convening for ambitious innovators. Held from February 24 to 27, the event’s 32 sessions brought together over 450 participants, including builders, researchers, funders, corporate execs, and policymakers, to accelerate frontier technology in the region.
The conference goal was simple: Elevate the conversation about deep tech in the region while building bridges between deeptech practitioners and enthusiasts from different disciplines.
Here are the key highlights from four days of intense innovation and deliberation.
See the full conference schedule here. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel to be notified when the full conference session videos are uploaded. Highlight reels are uploaded to our Instagram page.
Day 1: Grounding in the Ecosystem
The conference began with intimate off-site engagements designed to connect participants with the physical infrastructure and community in the Nigerian tech scene.
Infrastructure Tour: A focused group visited the Kasi Cloud Data Centre in Lekki, offering a firsthand look at the future of data infrastructure supporting cloud services on the continent.
Community Town Hall: The afternoon transitioned to the Semicolon campus in Yaba, a prominent hub for tech talent training, for an open exchange between conference delegates and the local resident ecosystem, where our keynote speakers inspired the audience of would-be builders to think beyond apps as a medium for tech innovation, letting them know that their crazy dreams are valid.
Day 2: Biotech and the “Smell Cyborg”
The main conference program kicked off at the Victoria Crown Plaza Hotel, opened by the Convener, Emeka Afigbo. The day was anchored by a keynote from Osh Agabi, CEO of Koniku Inc..
Visionary Biotech: Agabi discussed his work in biotech, specifically “smell cyborgs” that analyze volatile organic compounds to diagnose diseases in real-time. His vision of turning bathrooms into healthcare data centers challenged attendees to rethink the future of personalized medicine. He also announced the launch of Koniku Nigeria.
The Innovation Sandbox: Throughout the event, the Innovation Sandbox allowed attendees to engage with emerging tools and exhibitor displays in an interactive environment.
Builders Panel: A session specifically for practitioners provided practical insights into the complexities of building Deep Tech Ventures in Africa. The audience was reminded that great companies are built in times of adversity, and not to be shy to take audacious steps towards our dreams
Day 3: Product Leadership and Expert Surgeries
Day 3 focused on the mechanics of growth and technical mastery, featuring a keynote by Oji Udezue, Managing Partner at Kernel Fund.
Building Rocketships: Udezue shared his “battle-tested wisdom” on product-led growth, drawing from his experience at companies like Calendly and Microsoft to help founders turn startups into market-dominating forces.
Expert Surgeries: In one of the most appreciated sessions, Oji and Osh joined forces for structured dialogue and open consultation with attendees, providing direct access to world-class expertise.
Investor Fireside chat: An engaging conversation between Adia Sowho and Iyin Aboyeji on “The Long Game: Financing the Science-Led Transformation of Africa,” reminded us that failure is the default mode for startups, especially in Deep Tech, and the ecosystem will only make progress when we find ways to derisk failure for our most motivated innovators
Day 4: Industrialization and the Pitch Stage
The final day shifted toward applied and future-facing programming.
Africa Deep Tech Industrialisation Roundtable: High-level stakeholders from the tech ecosystem, corporate, government and academia discussed the role of deep tech in driving African industrialisation, producing dialogue with direct implications for policy and investment.
AI Soverignity Discourse: The roundtable was followed by an intervention on AI Soverignity titled: “Whose AI is it?” This conversation introduced a framework for balancing the AI model innovator’s values against those of the region as well as the user.
Startup Pitches: Early-stage deep tech ventures presented their solutions to a panel of investors, marking some of the most anticipated and high-energy moments of the week. Stride EV emerged as the winner of the best pitch award.
Africa Deep Tech Pavilion and Poster Presentations: The event also featured a dedicated showcase space for research and projects, facilitating a rich exchange between academia and practitioners.
Thank You, Partners and Volunteers!
None of this would have been possible without the support of our forward-thinking partners.
Accelerate Africa, Future Africa, Ilorin Innovation Hub, Semicolon, Kasi Cloud, 3MTT Nigeria, Innovation Support Network (ISN) Hubs, AR/VR Africa, Imisi 3D, Vontech, Udu Technologies (UduTech), Askya Investment Partners, The Offshore Lab (TOL), Fountain Pictures, The Angel-A Collective
And the volunteer team
Gbolahan Alli, Oluwafunmilayo Olumoko, Judith Okonkwo, Jinmi Oluanuiga, Yemi Bamgbose, Victor Obaro, Julian Duru, Zak El Fassi, Helen Eboagwu, Cynthia Mamah, Temitope Dada, Yannick Djoumbou Feunang, Nkem Nweke, Oluwatoyin Aromokeye
By helping make this conference possible, you have cast a visible vote of confidence in the most innovative and motivated talent that our region has to offer.
Thank you!
The Path Forward
The Africa Deep Tech Foundation (ADTF) concluded the event with a renewed commitment to advancing the ecosystem by connecting innovators across the continent and the diaspora. By grounding high-level visionary sessions in the lived reality of African infrastructure, Africa Deep Tech Conference 2026 proved that the continent is not just observing the deep tech revolution—it is participating in it and may one day lead it.
In the meantime, conversations will continue across our channels.
This was just Day 0. The real build starts now.
This is conference