I-venture Africa

What a year our online family! What a year what a year for hat a year 2025 has been. We laughed , we cried, we triumphed and we failed at some things but we won. As we approach the finish line tonight we want to thank God for everything and thank you our partners for growing with us. We are nothing with God and you. Happy and prosperous 2026 is our prayer and wish for you. Onwards.

Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 from ours to yours. May you have a truly meaningful Christmas. Blessings

The Uganda Innovation Week is an annual convention of arguably the brightest innovators in the country. Having been birthed under the patronage of the United Nations Capital Development Fund in tandem with founding members / entrepreneur support organizations Outbox , iventure Capital , The innovation village, Hive Colab , Shona, Tech buzz hub , NFT and the Design hub.

Over the past 5 years of the innovation week we have tested and shined a light on our program “talent as a startup” the program invites young people 22 - 35 yo that would like to leverage their skills and talent for decent work opportunities and or own enterprise creation.

🏆 We have our winner!
From over 32,000 applicants across Africa, Diana Orembe has been crowned the 2025 Africa’s Business Heroes Grand Prize Winner — a powerful moment for Tanzania and for the continent as a whole 🇹🇿🌍
🥇 Diana Orembe – Founder of NovFeed, transforming food waste into sustainable animal and fish feed
🥈 Abraham Mbuthia (Kenya) – Founder of Uzapoint, empowering SMEs with smart financial tools
🥉 Adriaan Kruger (South Africa) – Founder of nuvoteQ, advancing healthcare through digital clinical trials
This journey showcased the ambition, resilience, and innovation shaping Africa’s future. Congratulations to our Top 3 Africa’s Business Heroes — and to every entrepreneur who dared to build.
✨ Africa is not short on ideas. It is rich with builders.

Juliana Muganza, RDB Deputy CEO, set the tone for the 7th ABH Summit, emphasizing entrepreneurship's role in transforming Africa. “Entrepreneurship is a language spoken across the continent,” she said.

She congratulated the Top 10 finalists and highlighted Rwanda's commitment to supporting innovation and investment.

We just wrapped up an incredible day at Africa Industrialization Week 2025, hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Cooperatives. The energy in the room was remarkable — young innovators, industrial leaders, policymakers, and investors all working toward the same goal: a productive, digitally-driven Africa.

VP Jessica Alupo reminded us why the government is investing in industrial hubs spaces where youth can gain manufacturing and tech skills, prototype, and scale solutions that add real value to the economy.

Here’s what I see as the future: manufacturing + apps working together. Local factories producing goods embedded with smart tech. IoT solutions for agriculture, digitally-enabled consumer products, and regional value chains powered by East Africa’s youth.

Why now? Uganda’s demographic dividend means millions of young, skilled minds are ready to innovate. If we build ecosystems that connect education, manufacturing, and digital innovation, we can turn this population into Africa’s economic powerhouse.

The conversations today showed one thing clearly: Africa is not waiting. We are building.

Founders: prototype, collaborate, scale.
Investors & policymakers: support, mentor, create pathways for experimentation.

Grateful to the organizers, under Secretary General Baguma Richard, and everyone making Africa’s industrial future tangible.

and are rewriting the rules of partnership.
At the invitation of the ambassador Sadek we joined leaders, diplomats, and innovators in a pre-summit dialogue ahead of the 7th AU-EU Summit in Luanda, themed “Renewing the AU-EU Partnership: Shared Prosperity, Peace and People.”

Key takeaways:

-Africa is not asking for assistance , we are co-architects of solutions.

-Europe is not prescribing , it is partnering.

The future of this partnership will be defined by shared prosperity, peace, and joint action.

From security and innovation to youth participation and entrepreneurship, the energy in the room was palpable. The next chapter of AU-EU collaboration will be driven by strategy, mutual respect, and results.

Honored to represent and to attend the EU Ambassador’s reception, engaging with leaders shaping Africa’s next moves.

Yesterday 19th November 2025 reminded us why we believe so deeply in Africa’s innovation story.

Allan had the privilege of speaking at the Africa Youth Startups Forum (AYISF 2025) during Africa Industrialization Week an event hosted by the of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives that brought together the builders, believers, and brave ones shaping our continent’s industrial future.

Our CEO Al Ananura joined a powerful panel with Dr. Catherine Wandera – Science, Technology & Innovation Secretariat, and Dr. Souleymane Abdallah – , who guided the conversation with rare clarity.

But what struck us most was the hunger in the room, (such an eager crowd ) the questions behind the questions.
Here are some selected questions he answered

1. “Where do I even start?”
Start in the ecosystem No founder should build alone. Plug into hubs, associations, and communities designed to accelerate you coaching, mentoring, investment readiness, networks. Your idea likely will grow faster in a greenhouse than on a desert island.

2. “How do we actually grow Africa’s industrial pipeline?”
By reimagining our support structures. We need manufacturing-centric hubs places where young innovators can prototype, test, break, rebuild, and scale industrial ideas.
And here’s the part people don’t expect: If the hub you need doesn’t exist… build it. Starting a hub is one of the greatest learning experiences and one of the most generous.

3. “How do I stay resilient when everything feels hard?”
Entrepreneurship is not for the timid. Allan reminded founders that: “Entrepreneurs don’t ask for permission; they ask for forgiveness.” Not in a reckless sense,but in the spirit of bold iteration.Move. Test. Learn. Improve.You cannot innovate while standing still.

Walking out of that room, We felt proud of what we saw.
A generation ready to build Africa’s next industrial chapter with courage, creativity, and conviction.

Thank you to the Ministry, the organizers, my fellow panelists, and every young entrepreneur who showed up with heart.
Africa is not waiting.Africa is building.

Fueling Africa’s next wave of innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive growth.

iVenture Africa is leading Uganda’s top startups, innovation executives, and business leaders to Kigali for the 2025 Innovation & Investment Safari.

This third edition builds on our previous missions in Cape Town and Nairobi — bringing together founders, institutions, and investors committed to shaping Africa’s innovation economy.

Delegates will engage:
• Rwanda Development Board (RDB)
• Carnegie Mellon University Africa
• Norrsken House Kigali
• Africa Business Heroes Summit (USD 1.5M prize)

The Safari will create new market pathways, institutional partnerships, talent pipelines, and co-investment opportunities between Uganda and Rwanda.

Dates: 8–13 December 2025
Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Participation: By invitation