Three East African Startups Selected for Qualcomm’s 2025 Make in Africa Program
Qualcomm Incorporated has unveiled the 10 startups selected for its 2025 Make in Africa cohort, with Kenya emerging as a key player in this year’s lineup.
The program, now in its third year, is part of the broader Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform, which aims to nurture Africa’s deep-tech ecosystem through mentorship, technical and business support, and intellectual property training.
“This year’s cohort of deep technology startups is a testament to Africa’s burgeoning innovation landscape,” Wassim Chourbaji, SVP and President of Qualcomm MEA & SVP, Government Affairs EMEA, said in a press statement.
“By leveraging Qualcomm’s cellular, IoT, and edge-AI technologies, these startups are poised to revolutionize agriculture, sustainability, climate change, transportation, and healthcare. We are honored to support their journey toward creating transformative solutions for a better future.”
This year, the initiative drew 435 applications from 19 countries. Among the 10 chosen startups, three are based in Kenya: Farmer Lifeline, Pollen Patrollers, and Solar Freeze.
Farmer Lifeline uses solar-powered AI robots to detect crop pests and diseases in real-time, offering solutions to enhance food security. Pollen Patrollers applies AI and IoT to support healthy pollination, addressing threats to bee populations and food production, and Solar Freeze delivers solar-powered cold storage systems that reduce post-harvest losses, tackling a major challenge for smallholder farmers.
All selected startups will benefit from an equity-free incubation program, including access to Qualcomm hardware platforms, engineering consultations, business coaching, and support in protecting their intellectual property.
After the mentorship period, the startups will be eligible for funding through the Qualcomm Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund. One will receive the main award for exceptional use of wireless technology to address social challenges, while the remaining nine will receive growth stipends.
The 2025 Qualcomm Make in Africa cohort includes Aframend (Nigeria), AmalXR (Tunisia), Archeos (Benin), ClimatrixAI (Nigeria), Ecobees (Tunisia), Edulytics (Senegal), Farmer Lifeline (Kenya), Pixii Motors (Tunisia), Pollen Patrollers (Kenya), and Solar Freeze (Kenya).