And at the heart of this momentum, a new generation of founders is pushing boundaries. At this year’s summit, our portfolio startups didn’t just show up, they shined.

A year of momentum culminating in one defining moment

Throughout 2024 and 2025, AfricArena traveled across the continent, hosting regional summits from North to East, West to Southern Africa. Along this journey, several of our portfolio startups had the opportunity to present their solutions, meet investors, and refine their narratives.

This year, AfricArena organized five hybrid events across four regions in Africa, leading up to the annual AfricArena Summit in Cape Town. The Regional Events bring together startups, investors, and corporations operating in the region. More than 20 startups from the region were selected to pitch at the Regional Event. These events served as a semi-final pitch session before the Grand Summit in Cape Town in December 2025.

The Grand Summit took place on December 2 and 3, 2025, in Cape Town, South Africa. The two-day conference featured pitches from more than 50 of the best startups from the Regional Summit, ranging from seed stage to growth stage, as well as keynotes and panel discussions from the top minds in business, tech, and investment in the region.

Four startups, one stage, and a showcase of African excellence

We were proud to see four startups from our portfolio take the spotlight during the pitch sessions:

• Palm AI (Tunisia, Morocco, Paris) - Represented by Hela Atmani Palm AI continues to push the boundaries of applied AI for operational intelligence.
• Duniya Healthcare (Zambia) - Mwansa Chalohighlighted the startup’s mission to transform access to essential medicines through tech-enabled distribution.
• Blok (Ivory Coast) – Waly K. N'Diaye & Yohann Behi, who also joined a high-level panel, showcased Blok's breakthrough approach to last-mile digital commerce.
• Kilimo Fresh (Tanzania) – Baraka Chijenga demonstrated how technology can drive transparency and efficiency across Africa's agricultural supply chains.

💡Each pitch reflected deep expertise, strong traction, and the kind of clarity investors look for; a sign that these founders are not only building solutions but building institutions.

A night of awards and a dominant performance by our portfolio

The Award Ceremony was a powerful reminder of the talent shaping Africa’s innovation landscape. And this year, our founders didn’t just rise to the challenge. They set the bar.

Here’s how the night unfolded:

🏆 Best Climate Tech - Kilimo Fresh

🏆 Best AI - Palm AI

🏆 Most Promising Tech Startup 2025 - Blok

With 3 out of the 6 flagship awards, our portfolio delivered one of the strongest performances of the entire summit. These recognitions not only celebrate the founders’ hard work but also validate their long-term potential, from climate resilience to AI to commerce infrastructure.

For us as a fund and ecosystem builder, this moment underscores one thing:

Back the right founders early, and they will lead the continent tomorrow.

A sign of what is to come

AfricArena has always been about more than pitches or awards. It is a convergence point where:

• Capital meets ambition,
• Ideas meet execution,
• Founders meet global networks.

This year’s summit reaffirmed that Africa is entering a new era where local founders are defining global-ready innovations, and where African investors, accelerators, and institutions are increasingly shaping the rules of engagement.

For our portfolio, this momentum is just the beginning. The next decade of African innovation will be driven by resilience, creativity, and ecosystem-led collaboration, and we are deeply committed to empowering the founders building that future.

The story of African tech is only getting stronger

As the curtain closes on the AfricArena Grand Summit 2025, one thing is clear: African tech is not waiting for validation. It is leading.

And the outstanding performance of Kilimo Fresh, Palm AI, and Blok shows that the continent’s most promising solutions already have the potential to scale globally.

To every founder, investor, partner, and ecosystem builder who contributed to this year’s summit: thank you for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Let’s keep building boldly, purposefully, and together