The Aeonian Project, billed as a potential AI factory for Africa, is preparing for a swift rollout, with the first phase scheduled to go live in the second half of 2026.
At its core, the project aims to retain critical computing power within Africa, reducing reliance on foreign entities for data storage and AI infrastructure. A central goal is to enable homegrown researchers and developers to build AI models in local languages, trained on African data, ensuring solutions reflect regional priorities and contexts.
The USIO Supercomputer
The project’s centerpiece is the USIO, a 10MW sovereign supercomputer built in partnership with NVIDIA, MDCS.AI, and Automation NV of Belgium.
Key features include:
- Power Source — Runs on 100MW of surplus pre-transmission electricity from Uganda’s 600MW Karuma Hydro Power Plant.
- Cooling System — Utilizes natural river water for cooling and modular recycling technologies to manage heat output sustainably.
- Connectivity — Linked to a new 2,500km fiber optic backbone connecting Uganda with international cables via Kenya and Tanzania, ensuring both global reach and regional resilience.
“This facility will allow Africa not just to mine data, but to mint intelligence,” said Niels Van Rees, Co-Founder of MDCS.AI. “Like gold and oil once shaped economies, digital tokens and machine intelligence will drive the next era of innovation.”
The supercomputer is expected to support applications in healthcare, life sciences, higher education, and research.
Part of a Broader AI Factory Race
The Aeonian Project is not alone. In July 2025, it was reported that Cassava Technologies, led by Zimbabwe’s richest man Strive Masiyiwa, is working with NVIDIA to build what it calls Africa’s first AI factory under “Project Mufungi.”
Cassava plans to deploy NVIDIA’s high-performance AI infrastructure in its data centers across the continent, with operations already scheduled to expand from South Africa in June 2025 to Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria.
“Collaborating with NVIDIA gives us the advanced computing capacity to drive Africa’s AI innovation while strengthening digital independence,” Masiyiwa said. Cassava has pledged up to $720 million toward the initiative.
Aeonian Project’s Broader Scope
According to Synectics Technologies, which is spearheading the Aeonian Project, the facility will operate as a Tier-4 Plus hybrid off-grid green energy regional Hyperscale Data & High-Performance Computing Centre (DHPC).
Services will include:
- Colocation and blockchain hosting
- Data storage and cloud computing
- AI model training
- On-demand computing services
- Disaster Recovery Services (DRaaS) for regional data centers
Two leased dark fiber optic cables will connect the facility to Kampala headquarters for surveillance, and to the Kenyan submarine cable for international access.
Why It Matters
The emergence of multiple “AI factories” across Africa signals a continental push for data sovereignty and digital independence. By retaining AI compute power locally, projects like Aeonian and Cassava’s Mufungi aim to:
- Reduce reliance on foreign cloud providers
- Empower African researchers, startups, and enterprises with local access to advanced AI infrastructure
- Develop AI tools in African languages, reducing bias and cultural exclusion
- Support economic transformation in critical sectors like health, education, and agriculture
With competition heating up, Africa’s AI future may hinge on how effectively these projects can scale, attract talent, and balance geopolitical pressures with local innovation needs.
