Africa Blockchain Festival launches fellowship to connect startups with investors

The fellowship will be held as part of the Africa Blockchain Festival 2026, scheduled for October 15–17 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi.

Early-stage venture capital firm Antler and pan-African venture capital firm Launch Africa Ventures have partnered with ABF and Hevy Hub to support the programme.

Antler, which has been named the festival's Official Venture Partner, will help identify and evaluate participating startups, sit on the jury for the fellowship pitch competition and conduct a technical startup workshop on the second day of the festival.

Launch Africa Ventures will support startup vetting and participate in judging the pitch competition.

The programme is intended to give early-stage founders exposure to investors while helping them understand how venture capital firms assess businesses at different stages of development.

Selected founders will pitch their businesses at the festival to an audience of investors, technology executives, founders, policymakers, financial institutions and potential commercial partners.

Qualified startups will also have access to the ABF Deal Room, where founders and investors can hold more focused discussions on potential investment and partnerships.

The programme will extend beyond the festival, with selected startups receiving post-event mentorship to help them strengthen their businesses and prepare for investment and expansion.

Olubunmi Fabanwo, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Africa Blockchain Festival, said the fellowship was intended to address gaps in access to capital and mentorship for African technology entrepreneurs.

"Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world, and that generation is growing up at a time when technology is completely changing what is possible. A young person in Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Kigali, Accra or Dar es Salaam can build a solution today that potentially reaches millions of people. The challenge is making sure that talent has access to the capital, mentorship and networks required to turn those ideas into sustainable companies," said Fabanwo.

The fellowship will target startups working in areas including blockchain infrastructure, artificial intelligence, fintech, payments, stablecoins, tokenisation, digital identity and cybersecurity.

Applications are open to founders from East Africa, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, as well as other parts of West and Southern Africa.

Fabanwo said access to early-stage funding remained a challenge for entrepreneurs developing solutions in sectors such as payments, agriculture, healthcare, trade, education and financial inclusion.

"We have incredibly talented young people across Africa building solutions around payments, agriculture, healthcare, trade, education and financial inclusion. Increasingly, they are using blockchain and artificial intelligence to approach these challenges differently," he said.

The organisers said the fellowship would seek to identify businesses with the potential to address African markets while expanding into regional and international markets.

Applications and further details on eligibility, selection criteria and participation will be announced by Africa Blockchain Festival.