Qualcomm has named 10 startups for its 2025 Make in Africa mentorship program, part of its Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform. The equity-free program, now in its third year, supports early-stage deep-tech startups applying 5G, AI/ML, IoT, and edge technologies to build scalable solutions across sectors.
This year, Qualcomm received 435 applications from 19 countries. The selected startups hail from Kenya (3), Tunisia (3), Nigeria (2), Senegal (1), and Benin (1).
The 2025 cohort includes:
- Aframend (Nigeria): AI-based drug discovery using African phytochemicals
- AmalXR (Tunisia): Virtual reality rehabilitation with AI progress tracking
- Archeos (Benin): IoT solar pisciculture automation
- ClimatrixAI (Nigeria): Hyperlocal flood risk AI prediction
- Ecobees (Tunisia): Smart beekeeping tech with AI monitoring
- Edulytics (Senegal): Mobile liver fibrosis detection via ultrasound AI
- Farmer Lifeline (Kenya): Solar AI robots for crop disease detection
- Pixii Motors (Tunisia): AI/IoT-enhanced electric scooter ecosystem
- Pollen Patrollers (Kenya): AI-driven pollination support tech
- Solar Freeze (Kenya): IoT-powered cold storage for food preservation
Startups will receive technical mentorship, business coaching, access to Qualcomm hardware, and IP training. One startup will also be awarded the Qualcomm Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund to scale its solution.
Wassim Chourbaji, Qualcomm MEA SVP, said the cohort showcases how African innovators are applying advanced tech to critical issues like agriculture, health, sustainability, and mobility.
In partnership with the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), the program also continues to promote IP awareness through the L2Pro Africa e-learning platform. Updated for 2025, the platform now offers country-specific filing guides and has seen over 135 African students enroll.
ATU Secretary General John Omo praised the cohort, urging policymakers and investors to support Africa’s innovation ecosystem: “Innovation is the engine of Africa’s future – and these startups prove it.”
