We are LIVE!!! The Countdown Begins
Africa’s next chapter is being authored by its builders. At Catalyze 2025, we gather the thinkers, makers, and funders driving local innovation—on their own terms. This year’s theme, African by Design, centers the power of context, culture, and community in building systems that last.
- Founder's Notes
- Catalyze Countdown Begins
- Community Session Announcement
- Members Only Events
- Ecosystem Updates
- International events relevant to African Founders
📮 Founder's Notes
We’re thrilled to announce Catalyze 2025—our annual gathering that brings together innovators, builders, funders, and partners designing solutions by and for Africa. This year’s theme, African by Design, challenges us to center local ingenuity, self-determination, and systems built to last.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, policymaker, investor, or ally—Catalyze is your front row seat to the ideas shaping Africa’s future.
⏳The Countdown to Catalyze 2025 Starts Now
When solutions start where people live, they scale differently. Catalyze 2025 returns on September 25, 2025 to spotlight the builders designing Africa’s future—on their own terms. Under African by Design, we’ll explore how local ingenuity is reshaping health, energy, and capital flows—and how you can be part of it.
Expect fresh research, startup showcases, interactive panels, and powerful conversations that push past extractive models and toward systems that are truly African by design.
About the Conference Series - Catalyze
Catalyze is a conference focused on African innovation, bringing together policymakers, entrepreneurs, creators, investors, and visionary leaders committed to catalyzing tangible, locally-driven solutions. Catalyze focuses explicitly on highlighting, amplifying, and accelerating African innovations designed to address the continent's most pressing challenges and position Africa at the forefront of global innovation.
The Theme
Our theme, African by Design: Building Local Innovations for Impact, is a call to move from reliance to resilience, from adaptation to authorship. Across the continent, innovators are proving that solutions rooted in community and culture are not just working—they’re leading the way.
At Catalyze 2025, you can expect:
- Mini Design Sprints where ideas take shape right before your eyes
- Keynotes & Panels that open new ways of thinking
- Lightning Talks packed with fresh perspectives
- Connections with people ready to collaborate and create change
The Featured Tracks
This year, our conversations will focus on three powerful tracks:
Toward Self-Sufficient Health Systems
This track explores how Africa can build more resilient and self-sufficient health systems by reducing dependency on imported pharmaceuticals and infrastructure. Through new research and a showcase of ventures, we highlight bold, local solutions—from regional manufacturing to community-driven care models—that are reimagining how healthcare is delivered and sustained across the continent.
Bridging the Energy Gap
Energy access remains one of the biggest barriers to economic growth across Africa. This segment examines how local innovators are closing the power gap—especially in agriculture—by deploying homegrown, breakthrough energy solutions. Backed by research on energy poverty’s impact on productivity, we’ll spotlight ventures building the future of Africa’s power systems from the ground up.
Cross-Border Funding
Unlocking capital for African founders requires new models of collaboration and smarter investment approaches. This track focuses on practical ways to overcome the barriers that limit funding flow—highlighting how investors and operators are designing cross-border capital bridges, dismantling risk narratives, and creating context-driven pathways to back African ventures at scale..
No matter where you are in the world, you can be part of it. All you need is your screen, your curiosity, and your commitment to join us.
📅 Save the date: 25 September, 2025
📍 Hybrid
💡 Be there when we Catalyze change.
🤝 How to participate in Catalyze
- Attend. Join the community roundtables
- Showcase. Founders and operators: nominate your venture for a track spotlight.
- Partner. Co-host a session, sponsor a track, or support the research that powers Catalyze.
💡 Be part of the ideas that will take center stage at Catalyze 2025
Community
Updates from The Beta Collective Community by Priscilla
Members Only Event 🔐
Pitch Tuesdays
Every Tuesday, members of our community get the spotlight to pitch their startups, side projects, or bold ideas. It’s a safe, supportive space to practice your pitch, get feedback, and connect with potential collaborators or mentors. Whether you’re refining your concept or ready to launch, this is your time to shine.
Members only. 🎤
Weekly WhatsApp Discussions
Join our WhatsApp group every week for a focused, real-time conversation around the topic of discussion. It’s a chance to share your take, ask questions, and learn from the lived experiences of others in the community.
Don’t miss out on our members-only event — it’s your chance to connect, pitch, and grow with a community that truly gets it.
Ecosystem
News, Events, and Updates by Jesse
News
Egypt’s Flend Secures $3M to Bridge SME Financing Gap
Egyptian fintech startup Flend has raised $3 million in a seed round combining equity and debt, aiming to tackle the country’s estimated $50 billion SME financing gap. The equity portion was led by Egypt Ventures, with participation from Camel Ventures, Sukna Ventures, Plus VC, Banque Misr, and prominent family offices.
Tom Jackson
Funding and Resources
Call for Applications — NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator Program 2025
The NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator 2025 is now inviting applications from early-stage, African-based startups innovating in sports and creative tech. Up to $50,000 in funding and in-kind support is on offer for the top five winners, plus access to mentorship, coaching, masterclasses, and global exposure—culminating in a high-profile Demo Day in December. Applications close on August 29, 2025, so be sure to apply early!
Whitley Awards 2026
Deadline: 31 October 2025
The Whitley Awards are offering £50,000 to mid-career conservationists in the Global South with proven, community-rooted projects delivering measurable environmental impact. Open to nationals working in their project’s country, the award includes funding, media training, and entry into a global alumni network. Applications open 29 July 2025 and close 31 October 2025.
OFA
Events
Creators & Founders Mixers
Date: Saturday, 23rd August 2025
Abuja – A curated networking mixer for creators and startup founders, hosted by Amarachi Nwachukwu under the banner “Amara”, taking place at Cafe One Abuja (Sterling Bank Plaza, CBD). Attendance requires approval—relevant participants must request access and verify ownership via wallet authentication.
For: Emerging and established creators, founders, ecosystem connectors, and innovators seeking peer connections and networking in the heart of Nigeria’s capital.
GITEX Nigeria 2025 – September 1–4, Nigeria (Abuja & Lagos)
September 1–4, Abuja & Lagos → The most ambitious tech event yet in West Africa.
September 1 – Abuja: A high-level Government Leadership & AI Summit bringing together policymakers, global tech executives, and innovators to chart Nigeria’s digital governance future.
September 3–4 – Lagos (Eko Hotel & Landmark Centre):
Tech Expo & Future Economy Summit: Featuring over 100 global tech brands, 3,000+ professionals, and 100+ exhibitors showcasing innovations in AI, fintech, cybersecurity, IoT, telecoms, and data infrastructure.
Startup Festival: Nigeria’s largest startup gathering, with 1,000+ curated startups, 300+ investors, the Supernova Challenge, and a concierge investor programme representing over $200 billion in assets under management.
For: Government leaders, corporate executives, innovators, startups, investors, and ecosystem connectors seeking to engage with Nigeria’s rapidly emerging digital economy.
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