Grace Ashiru
A fresh wave of African founders building solutions across food systems, climate tech, AI, and circular economy infrastructure has earned a spot in one of the world’s most competitive startup accelerator programs.
MassChallenge announced 193 early-stage startups for its Switzerland and UK 2026 cohort, selected from a pool of nearly 2,000 applicants. Among them is a notable group of African innovators spanning multiple countries and sectors.
The African contingent covers significant ground. Nigeria’s Bridge Merchant Enterprise is tackling post-harvest losses by connecting smallholder farmers to markets through a decentralized, tech-enabled logistics and storage network. Cameroon’s CornHouse gives farmers access to safe storage, credit, and better pricing through maize-backed collateral systems. Zambia’s Entomo Farm converts organic waste into high-protein animal feed and organic fertilizer using black soldier fly farming.
Kenya lands multiple spots in the cohort. Ustawi Nutritional Care processes orange-fleshed sweet potatoes into vitamin A-rich food products to address malnutrition while supporting smallholder farmers. Nuru Solutions is building data infrastructure for smallholder farmers by combining satellite imagery and machine learning to improve access to credit and insurance. M-taka Solutions operates a tech-enabled platform connecting waste collectors, recyclers, and brands through AI, IoT, and blockchain to bring structure and traceability to fragmented waste systems.
Beyond agriculture, the cohort includes startups pushing into health and biotech. Nigeria’s FirstAI.d is developing emergency response infrastructure that uses intelligent routing and payments to connect patients with the nearest available ambulance. Ethiopia’s Thur Biotech is developing microbial solutions aimed at improving soil health and reducing dependence on imported agricultural inputs. North Africa also features. Tunisia’s CHITELIX is transforming seafood waste into high-value biomaterials such as chitosan, while Tanzania’s Healthy Seaweed Co. is turning seaweed into nutritious food products while supporting coastal women farmers.
The four-month program will provide mentorship, investor access, and corporate partnerships, culminating in awards in October where startups will compete for up to CHF 1 million in zero-equity funding
