Meet the winners of the Africa Deep Tech Challenge 2025!
Warm greetings to our vibrant Africa Deep Tech Community!
The energy has been palpable, the innovation breathtaking, and the journey truly inspiring. Today, we are absolutely thrilled to announce the triumphant winners of the Africa Deep Tech Challenge 2025!
This challenge, launched on May 14, 2025, was conceived with a clear and powerful aim: to identify and support Africa's most promising innovators building breakthrough tech that thrives under resource constraints. It's all about spotlighting and empowering African deep tech builders to create solutions despite the unique limitations that abound on our continent.
Over the past months, we’ve witnessed incredible ingenuity under the theme of "Resource-Constrained Computing". This wasn't just about code or hardware; it was about the journey of builders who solved for Africa’s unique infrastructural realities. From low-power solutions to offline capabilities, small-data AI models, and efficient edge computing, participants reimagined what's possible when constraints inspire creativity.
A Journey of Unprecedented Innovation
The response was phenomenal. We saw 2863 registered participants across more than 14 countries, resulting in 421 total submissions, with 350 vetted quality submissions showcasing Africa's incredible deep tech talent. The journey from this vast pool of talent to our ultimate champions was rigorous, involving a selection process that narrowed down to 16 semifinalists, and then eight outstanding finalists.
Along the way, we supported our innovators by hosting five bi-weekly Info Sessions to guide them. Over 100 technical resources were shared, and a dedicated Telegram channel provided real-time support. We also enlisted the expertise of 14 accomplished mentors to provide invaluable guidance and insights to our semifinalists.
Celebrating Our Champions: The Africa Deep Tech Challenge 2025 Winners!
After intense deliberation and spectacular presentations, we are incredibly proud to unveil the innovations that stood out. These projects not only excelled in technical implementation and creative problem-solving but also demonstrated immense potential for real-world impact in African contexts.
Join us in congratulating the pioneers of the Africa Deep Tech Challenge 2025:
• 🥇 First Prize: Project FarmSpeak
◦ Empowering farmers with smart tools. This solution is set to revolutionize agricultural practices and productivity across the continent.
• 🥈 Second Prize: Cure Bionics
◦ Providing bionic prosthetics for amputees. A truly transformative innovation pushing the boundaries of healthcare accessibility.
• 🥉 Third Prize: Muscle
◦ Digitizes African small retail operations. A vital tool for formalizing and growing the backbone of many African economies.
• 💡 IHS Challenge Prize – Power Management Category & Audience Vote: PERWER
◦ Tracks and manages energy usage. PERWER also clinched the coveted Audience Vote, demonstrating its immediate relevance and appeal in addressing critical infrastructure needs. This prize specifically recognizes solutions that address power management challenges in telecom infrastructure, focusing on sustainability and efficiency.
Beyond the Prizes: What Our Winners Receive
Our champions receive more than just recognition. The total prize pool of $20,000 in equity-free grants provides crucial capital to fuel their growth, refine prototypes, and kickstart their startup journeys. Beyond the financial support, they gain:
• Tailored Mentorship: Two months of intensive guidance from top-tier engineers, product experts, and industry leaders.
• Direct Access to Investment Pipeline: Fast-tracking conversations with early-stage deep tech investors keenly interested in Africa’s most promising talent.
• Media Exposure + Feature Spotlights: Amplifying their work and voice across our platforms and partner media outlets.
• Post-Challenge Support: Continued visibility and backing through our extensive innovation network.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Ecosystem
This monumental challenge would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our incredible community, partners, judges, and mentors.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the over 13 partners who collaborated with us to provide insights on innovation and commercialization. Special thanks to key partners like Future Africa, IHS, Ilorin Innovation Hub, Co-Creation Hub, ARM, Datamellon, Qhala, ARVR Africa, Ecole Marocaine des Sciences de l'Ingenieur (EMSI), 3MTT, The Omniverse, WEB3 Afrika, Rust Africa, GDG Lagos, UDU Tech and ISN Hubs.
Our profound appreciation also goes to our distinguished panel of judges, including Omoju Miller, Alex Tsado, Zak El Fassi, Silas Adekunle, Judith Okonkwo, Julian Duru, Shehu Umar and Mbangula Lameck Amugongo, whose expertise and dedication ensured a fair and thorough evaluation process. And to our 14 accomplished mentors who guided our semifinalists – your insights were invaluable.
Continue the Journey with Africa Deep Tech
The Africa Deep Tech Challenge 2025 is a testament to the incredible potential residing within Africa's tech ecosystem. As the Africa Deep Tech Foundation, our mission continues: inspiring and educating, empowering creators, showcasing African brilliance, and building a global network.
We invite you to delve deeper into the innovative solutions presented. 🔗 View the full submissions gallery here: https://bit.ly/adtc-2025-gallery
Stay connected with the Africa Deep Tech Community for more updates, insights, and opportunities to shape Africa's technological future.
Congratulations once again to all participants, finalists, and especially our deserving winners! The future of deep tech in Africa is bright, and you are its pioneers.