The African Diaspora Network has unveiled the 2026 cohort of its Builders of Africa’s Future (BAF) programme, selecting 12 early-stage entrepreneurs whose ventures are addressing some of Africa’s most pressing social and economic challenges. The initiative continues to play an important role in supporting entrepreneurs who are building practical solutions in healthcare, agriculture, education, finance, technology, clean energy, housing and community development.
The selected entrepreneurs will present their ventures during the 9th annual Builders of Africa’s Future Pitch Day on August 26, 2026. The event marks the ninth cohort of the programme, which has become one of the African Diaspora Network’s flagship initiatives for identifying and supporting promising African founders with the potential to scale their businesses and increase their impact across the continent.
Rather than focusing only on investment, Builders of Africa’s Future equips entrepreneurs with enterprise development training, mentorship, networking opportunities and international exposure. The programme is designed to strengthen businesses that are already demonstrating impact while helping founders prepare for sustainable growth and future investment opportunities.
Since its launch in 2018, the programme has supported 93 African startups operating in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. The ventures selected each year are chosen for their ability to solve critical community challenges through innovation, technology or differentiated business models. Areas of focus include healthcare, education, agriculture, energy, financial inclusion, gender inclusion, nutrition, commerce and infrastructure development.
The 2026 cohort will receive enterprise development training from the African Management Institute (AMI) of Kenya, one of Africa’s leading business training organisations. They will also receive an invitation to attend the 12th African Diaspora Investment Symposium, where they will have the opportunity to engage with investors, business leaders and members of the African diaspora. While participants are responsible for their own travel and attendance costs, the symposium provides valuable opportunities to build partnerships and increase visibility in Silicon Valley. The programme is supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
Entrepreneurs Building Solutions Across Key Sectors
Among this year’s selected entrepreneurs is Albert Shiebila Mali, Executive Director of GrowAfrica For Me in Ghana. Through GrowAfrica For Me, he leads programmes that equip young people, women, startups and underserved communities with entrepreneurship training, agribusiness incubation, digital skills, livelihood support and investment readiness. His work has involved collaborations with leading international organisations including the International Trade Centre (ITC), World Food Programme (WFP), Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), GIZ, Kosmos Innovation Center, the Ghana Enterprise Agency and Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture. In 2024, GrowAfrica For Me was recognised as the Best Business Development Service Provider under the USAID Ghana Market Systems and Resilience Business Growth Clinic Programme.
Representing Nigeria is Charles Nweke, Co-founder and CEO of AlumUnite, a data intelligence and community funding platform that is helping schools and young people gain better access to educational opportunities and long-term support. Through technology, AlumUnite mobilises alumni networks, institutional partnerships and data systems to strengthen education financing and youth development. Under Charles’ leadership, the organisation has developed solutions such as the CodED intelligence platform, which provides greater visibility into education challenges while helping governments, schools, development organisations and private sector partners coordinate funding, mentorship and measurable impact.
Also from Nigeria is Chidi Nwaogu, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Efiwe AI Nigeria Limited. A software developer and technology entrepreneur, Chidi has built Efiwe into a mobile-first, offline-ready artificial intelligence platform that expands access to coding education across Africa. His contributions to Africa’s technology sector have earned widespread recognition. In 2021, he was named among the Jack Ma Foundation’s Top 10 Africa’s Business Heroes and was included in YNaija’s list of the 100 Most Powerful Young Nigerians. In 2026, YNaija again recognised him among the country’s 100 most impactful people in technology. The same year, he became one of only two Nigerians shortlisted for the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering.
Uganda’s David Monday, Founder and CEO of Pendeza Shelters, is using environmental innovation to address housing shortages and plastic pollution. His social enterprise converts plastic waste into affordable, environmentally friendly housing designed for flood-prone communities. David is a certified Employment-Intensive Infrastructure Contractor through the International Labour Organization and a facilitator trained by SINA Global. He has also co-founded Upcycle Africa Limited and previously led the Applied Social Innovation Programme at Jangu International, where he mentored entrepreneurs and supported community-driven innovation.
Esther Chinenye Eruchie, Founder and CEO of FriendnPal, has become one of Africa’s recognised leaders in digital health and artificial intelligence. Her AI-powered mental health platform focuses on early detection, continuous support and improving access to mental healthcare for underserved communities. Inspired by personal experiences with mental health loss in her family, she established FriendnPal to promote preventive healthcare. Esther has received numerous international honours, including Global Entrepreneurship Nigeria Winner 2024, Best AI Product/Service of the Year 2024, Moonshot Health Finalist 2025, recognition from the World Summit Awards and the World Bank, and selection as one of the Top 25 African Female Founders by the African Innovation Fellowship. She is also a Tech for Good Entrepreneur Award recipient, a One Young World Ambassador and served as a Healthcare Mentor for the AfriLabs and Afreximbank programme in Algeria during 2025.
Also from Uganda, Gladys Amuge, Co-founder of Absolute Clean, is building a business that combines professional cleaning services with sustainability. The company provides affordable cleaning and laundry services while promoting healthier living environments. Gladys has developed expertise in leadership, customer engagement, marketing, proposal writing, teamwork and business development. She is committed to creating environmentally friendly cleaning products while expanding opportunities for young entrepreneurs, particularly women and aims to build Absolute Clean into a technology-driven brand serving communities across Uganda and beyond.
Another Ugandan entrepreneur, Mackline Kobusingye, Founder and Chief Executive Director of Vital Care Connect Initiative Limited, is tackling maternal and newborn health. Motivated by her own near-fatal childbirth experience, she established the women-led social enterprise to reduce preventable maternal and infant deaths. The organisation has already reached more than 40,000 people through safe birth kits, nutrition support and maternal health education. Mackline’s work has earned recognition through the Acumen Fellowship, Savvy Fellowship Prize, Youth Challenge International HerStart Grant and selection as a 2024 Mandela Washington Fellow, where she was chosen as one of only 24 fellows from more than 2,300 Ugandan applicants.
Nantongo Barbra Jane, Founder and CEO of Smart Kitchen Solutions, is developing clean cooking technologies that improve public health while protecting the environment. Established in 2021 following personal experiences that highlighted the dangers of traditional cooking fuels, the enterprise produces eco-friendly briquettes made from recycled organic waste, agricultural residues and water hyacinth. The business also promotes improved cookstoves that reduce indoor air pollution and deforestation while lowering household fuel costs. Barbra has trained more than 840 women in sustainable cooking and environmental conservation and created income opportunities through waste recycling. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Procurement and Logistics Management alongside certifications in Social Entrepreneurship and Life Coaching, she has worked with SINA, MultiChoice Uganda, the National Renewable Energy Platform and TASO. She has also participated in programmes including the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Programme, WE4D, NSSF Hi-Innovator and the Social & Inclusive Business Camp, while speaking at climate and entrepreneurship forums.
Albert Rwakimari Ayiga, Founder and CEO of NUNU Fund, is addressing rural poverty through a business model that combines agriculture, retail, savings and education. Raised in a farming household, he experienced the effects of unstable incomes and limited financial services firsthand. Through NUNU Fund, he has built a technology-enabled system that helps farmers receive fair prices, supports household savings and enables families to invest in children’s education through structured digital savings. The organisation has served more than 2,500 households while reducing school dropout rates and generating sustainable revenue through commercially viable operations.
Driving Africa’s Future Through Innovation and Enterprise
Nigeria’s Dr. Terese Shadrach Akpem, Founder and CEO of Vet Konect Ltd, brings together veterinary science and digital innovation to improve access to animal healthcare. With more than nine years of experience, he aims to provide quality animal healthcare to five million Africans by 2030. Beyond Vet Konect, he has trained more than 30,000 young people through Mind the Gap and led important initiatives within the Nigeria Youth SDGs Network, including the Youth Dialogue 2019 and the development of the SDGs Playbook. As Project Officer for the UNDP-supported Benue Agribusiness Innovation Hub, he helped establish the state’s first agribusiness innovation hub, directly supporting over 600 farmers and 25 innovators. His achievements include becoming a Mandela Washington Fellow, Pamoja Founders Fellow, World Food Prize Foundation Top Agri-food Pioneer, Mastercard FAST Fellow, Generation Africa Fellow, African Union Youth Startup Fellow and the first African finalist to finish second overall in the World Food Prize Foundation’s Innovate for Impact Challenge.
Tunde Adeyemi, CEO and Co-founder of D-Olivette Labs, is developing climate technologies that convert organic waste into clean biomethane energy and organic fertiliser. His work seeks to reduce energy poverty while promoting climate resilience and the circular economy. Inspired by the loss of his mother to respiratory illness linked to cooking smoke, Tunde dedicated his career to developing cleaner cooking solutions. His company is building decentralised biomethane systems that transform agricultural and food waste into renewable energy while creating economic opportunities for rural communities. His work has earned the IEEE Entrepreneurship Impact Award 2025, the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority Innovation Prize 2025 and more than ten global innovation awards.
Completing the cohort is Winstone Edward Odhiambo, Founder and CEO of Healthy Food Systems in Kenya. An Agricultural Economist with more than 18 years of experience, Winstone is advancing sustainable food systems through affordable macro- and micronutrient solutions for both human nutrition and livestock feed. His work combines climate-resilient agriculture with innovative business models that improve food security while involving local communities as active partners in building long-term solutions.
The 2026 Builders of Africa’s Future cohort demonstrates the growing strength of Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Although the founders represent different countries and industries, they share a common goal of solving real problems through innovation while creating jobs, improving essential services and strengthening local economies.
