Innovation is weaved into the social fabric of communities across Africa, where entrepreneurs are building some of the world’s fastest-growing tech sectors despite limited resources and fragmented support systems. Hubs and founders often operate in isolation, slowing the spread of ideas, resources, and investment across borders.

AfriLabs is a pan-African nonprofit organization that has been empowering entrepreneurs and startups across the continent for the last 15 years. Today, they have grown their network to 500 hubs across 53 countries, hosting annual gatherings that foster collaboration and bring African-led solutions to scale. Through digital platforms, training programs, and collaboration, AfriLabs is strengthening Africa’s innovation infrastructure and expanding access to opportunities. Guided by the principle of ubuntu — “I am because we are”— this work brings isolated changemakers together, placing partnership and shared purpose at the center of progress.

In 2024, AfriLabs received an unrestricted grant of $150,000 from CAF America at the recommendation of a U.S.-based corporate foundation. An unrestricted grant allows nonprofits flexibility in spending and stability to meet their organizational needs. For AfriLabs, this support enabled them to improve operations and move forward with greater confidence.

This partnership strengthened AfriLabs at a foundational level. It allowed the organization to sustain a core team, enhance internal systems, and expand its digital platforms. These improvements broadened access to grants, accelerators, mentorship, and other opportunities that support startup growth. As a result, entrepreneurs across the continent have been able to strengthen their businesses, explore new markets, and secure funding.

With over one million people in its community reach, AfriLabs emphasizes that the problem they are solving is not innovation – it is connectivity, access, and scalability. Founders can now discover funding, connect with innovation hubs, access training, and find new business opportunities through AfriLabs’ digital ecosystem. These platforms have become central to the organization’s long-term strategy and continue to create value for entrepreneurs and support organizations.

CAF America’s support also helped AfriLabs deliver a successful iteration of its Annual Gathering, bringing together startups, hubs, and investors from across the continent. The event strengthened collaboration and sparked new partnerships, reinforcing the importance of a connected innovation ecosystem.

AfriLabs has developed a suite of programs and digital platforms that bring its vision of a connected and collaborative innovation ecosystem across Africa to life.

AfriLabs Connect is an engagement platform and the digital face of AfriLabs, bringing together the largest community of innovators in Africa. The platform brings more than 14,000 stakeholders into one interactive space, offering live data rooms, opportunity boards, learning modules, and deal matchmaking so innovators are no longer limited by geography. The Deal Room allows innovators to connect directly with global investors.

“I love ACDR because it cuts through the noise. Instead of getting 200 cold emails, I get a clean pipeline of founders who are already in my sweet spot. It saves me time and increases my chances of finding real deals.”
-Sello M., Angel Investor (South Africa)

“For the first time, I feel visible. ACDR didn’t just list my startup, it connected me to investors I would never have reached on my own. The matchmaking actually makes sense.”
-Favour I., HealthTech Founder (Nigeria)

AfriLabs Academy is an online learning platform that provides training and resources to help African innovation hubs, entrepreneurs, and startups build skills to grow technically proficient businesses.

The AU Digital and Innovation Fellowship Program is a 12-month program that places African tech innovators inside the African Union to help solve problems and improve systems using digital solutions. The fellowship uses AfriLabs Academy for fellow readiness training and provides LMS support for digital transformation across AU institutions.

“We’re proving that with the right talent, African institutions can innovate from within.”
–Louis Marie, AU Fellow

RevUp Women supports women entrepreneurs across Africa by providing support, training, and mentorship. With support from the Visa Foundation and led by AfriLabs through AfriLabs Connect and ACDR to match female founders with investors, the program has provided more than $100,000 in direct support to women-led businesses.

“Before RevUp, I struggled to scale my business. Now I have a mentor, refined strategy, and our first angel investment.”
–Jane, Nigeria

“RevUp got our attention because it was specifically for women in the early stages of their business, and beyond the mentorship which was so insightful, the advice was backed with capital too.”
-Annabel Angwenyi, Founder of Ziada -Nigeria

Talent 4 Startups supports African talent in training for digital careers and helps them integrate into the startup ecosystem, leveraging AfriLabs Academy for skill development.

Greenovations Africa brings together stakeholders across Africa’s green innovation ecosystem, empowering women and youth entrepreneurs to develop and scale sustainable solutions

Thanks to AfriLabs’ network of programs, innovators can access support from the very start of their projects through growth all in one place. For example, a founder in Kigali, Rwanda can access cross-border investments through the Afri Labs Connect Deal Room (ACDR), build skills through AfriLabs Academy, and gain visibility through initiatives like RevUp Women and Talent4Startups – all in one place. This level of connection is further supported by the AfriConnect mobile app and Amari AI, AfriLabs’ proprietary AI engine that ensures opportunities are not only available, but matched to those who need them most.

By reducing barriers to access and increasing visibility for innovators across the continent, AfriLabs is helping shift innovation stories from isolated success to something more communal – a movement that breaks barriers. Startups can now scale quickly from ideas to investment, and hubs are better positioned to support their communities with data-driven insights. At its core, AfriLabs is strengthening the channels that allow innovation to thrive and scale in a sustainable, impactful way.

Through support from CAF America and a corporate donor, AfriLabs’ foundation is stronger than ever. The grant helped transform operational resilience into real-world results, empowering hubs to collaborate more effectively and expanding access to tools that help startups turn potential into tangible growth