Africa Deep Tech Challenge 2025: Applications Now Open – $20,000 in Prizes
The Africa Deep Tech Challenge 2025, an initiative supported by Future Africa in partnership with Ilorin Tech Hub, CcHub, and IHS, is now accepting applications. This year’s challenge centers around the theme “Resource-Constrained Computing” and aims to uncover innovative solutions that address complex problems within environments where computing resources are limited.
Focus of the Challenge:
The competition encourages participants to develop working prototypes that function efficiently in conditions with restricted access to power, data, memory, or connectivity. Projects might include AI on edge devices, offline-first applications, energy-conscious technologies, or other creative uses of limited hardware and software capabilities.
Solutions can target any field—such as education, health, finance, agriculture, smart cities, or climate—as long as they are designed to thrive within the realities of infrastructure challenges in Africa.
Submission Requirements:
Participants must submit:
- A fully functional prototype or demo
- A detailed report outlining:
- Problem context and identified limitations
- Alternatives considered and final design choices
- Technologies and tools used (e.g., AI, IoT)
- Performance evaluation and results
- Visual proof (screenshots or video) of the working solution
- A short video (max 2 minutes) summarizing the idea and development process
- Updated versions of documentation and videos for semi-final and final rounds if selected
Prizes & Benefits:
First Place – $8,000 (1 winner)
- Non-equity cash grant
- Two months of expert mentorship
- Direct access to early-stage deep tech investors
- Media visibility across the continent
- Continued support through an innovation network
Second Place – $5,000 (1 winner)
- Same benefits as first place, with a reduced grant amount
Third Place – $3,000 (1 winner)
- Same benefits as second place, with a lower grant
Special Award: IHS Power Management Prize – $4,000
This award will go to the best solution addressing power challenges in telecom infrastructure. Focus areas include:
- Solar or hybrid off-grid energy systems
- Battery management and optimization
- Remote power monitoring
- Predictive maintenance
- Carbon-reducing technologies
- Embedded power-efficiency systems
- Load balancing and infrastructure analytics
Applicants are encouraged to align with IHS’s sustainability and operational efficiency goals.
