Challenge
How It Works
“AFRICAN INTELLIGENCE”
The theme of the 2026 Africa Innovate Conference is “AFRICAN INTELLIGENCE: Building Systems for Shared Prosperity.”
We invite participants to explore what sovereignty means for Africa, tackle market challenges, and envision solutions that empower communities, foster sustainable growth, and build self-sustaining ecosystems.
KEY DATES
WHAT TO EXPECT
Work with top students across New England in a real hackathon environment.
Build solutions in Fintech, Education, and Agricultural logistics.
Create systems that move Africa forward and inspire continued innovation.
What you gain
You get to have a share of the prize money of $9,000
Engage with key players in the MIT innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Network with global changemakers and visionary founders.
PROBLEM THEME
Participants will team up to develop solutions in three areas:
Fintech:
Increasing access, innovation, and equity in financial services across Africa.
Education:
Enhancing upskilling opportunities and productivity through innovative educational solutions.
Agricultural Logistics:
Optimizing supply chains, distribution, and market access for agricultural products.
Eligibility Criteria
The MIT Africa Business Challenge invites U.S.-based university students passionate about driving innovation in Africa. Applicants must:
- Be Currently Enrolled: Undergraduate, graduate, or professional students at U.S. universities.
- Form Teams: 3–5 members, preferably interdisciplinary.
- Focus on Africa: Commit to solving challenges in Finance, Education, and Agricultural Logistics.
- Be Available: Participate in the hackathon (February 27–28, 2026).
- Show Passion for Innovation: Demonstrate enthusiasm for collaboration and impactful problem-solving.
Evaluation Criteria
- Unique Value Proposition: What makes the solution distinctive?
- Team Composition: Does the team have the skills to execute effectively?
- Opportunity: Market size, timing, and business model alignment.
- Context: Fit within Africa’s regulatory and industry environment.
- Competitive Advantage: Barriers to entry & differentiation.
- Risk/Reward: Balanced strategy for growth.
- Structured Experimentation: Validation of key assumptions.
- Financial Viability: Strong financial pathway.
- Traction & Execution: Milestones or partnerships.
- Go-to-Market Strategy: Customer acquisition & channels.
MIT AFRICA BUSINESS CHALLENGE — HACKATHON SCHEDULE
Africa Innovate Conference 2026 · "African Intelligence: Building Systems for Shared Prosperity" · February 27–28, 2026
| DAY 1 · FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27 · HACKATHON — BUILD DAY · MIT SLOAN E62. Room 233 | |||
| TIME | SESSION | DESCRIPTION | TRACK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 – 9:30 AM | Registration opens (available all day) & Breakfast | Teams check in, receive materials, and get set up. Light breakfast provided. Registration available for the whole day. | Logistics |
| 9:30 – 10:00 AM | Opening Ceremony | Welcome remarks and theme kickoff. Three challenge tracks announced. | Ceremony |
| 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Build Session I — Deep Work | Teams dive into research, ideation, and early prototyping. Mentors circulate across all tracks. | All Tracks |
| 1:00 – 2:00 PM | Lunch Break | — | — |
| 2:00 – 5:30 PM | Mentor Office Hours — Round I | Mentors will be available on demand to help with ideas. | All Teams |
| 5:30 – 6:00 PM | Dinner Break | — | — |
| 6:00 – 8:00 PM | Build Session III — Final Push | Teams finalize solutions, presentations, and supporting materials. | All Teams |
| 8:00 PM | SUBMISSIONS CLOSE | Video of the idea must be uploaded by 8:00 PM sharp. | Deadline |
| DAY 2 · SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28 · FINAL PRESENTATIONS · MIT SLOAN E51. Room 345 | |||
| 8:30 – 9:30 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast | Conference-wide check-in. Teams, speakers, judges, and attendees connect. | Logistics |
| 10:00 AM | SUBMISSIONS CLOSE | All decks and supporting documents must be uploaded by 9:00 PM sharp. | Deadline |
| 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Semi-Final Pitches | Teams present to judges. Evaluated on value proposition, market size, competitive advantage, and go-to-market strategy. | Finals |
| 12:30 – 1:30 PM | Lunch & Judge Deliberation | — | — |
| 1:30 – 4:00 PM | Free Time | Free time for participants. Opportunity to join conference programs such as expert talks and panels. | All |
| 4:30 – 5:30 PM | Awards Ceremony | Top 3 finalist pitch. Winners announced and prize money awarded. Location: MIT Wong Auditorium. | Awards |
| 5:30 PM onward | Networking Reception | — | — |
PRIZE POOL: $9,000 · 1st Place $5,000 · 2nd Place $3,000 · 3rd Place $1,000 · Schedule subject to change
| JUDGES | MENTORS – IN PERSON | MENTORS – VIRTUAL |
|---|---|---|
| Phillips Akinyele | Jason Alvarez | Opeyemi Awoyemi |
| Kishan Popat | Muele Wilcox | Ifeoma Uddoh |
| Genevieve Oni | Tortise David | Kelvin Umechukwu |
| Yoma Onosemuode | Karen Feinberg | Adewale Yusuf |
| Lionel Aluka | Tosin Olaseinde | Abolaji Oguntoyinbo |
VIRTUAL MENTORS SCHEDULE
| MENTOR | SECTOR | ROOM | START | END | ZOOM LINK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abolaji Oguntoyinbo | Agribusiness | Room 1 | 10:00 AM ET | 1:00 PM ET | VIRTUAL MENTOR-ROOM 1 SESSION 1-ABOLAJI Time: Feb 27, 2026 10:00 AM Eastern Time Join Zoom Meeting https://mit.zoom.us/j/97004519083 |
| Opeyemi Awoyemi | Product & Growth | Room 1 | 2:30 PM ET | 5:00 PM ET | VIRTUAL MENTOR-ROOM 1 SESSION 2-OPEYEMI Time: Feb 27, 2026 02:30 PM Eastern Time Join Zoom Meeting https://mit.zoom.us/j/96531788210 |
| Ifeoma Uddoh | Fintech & Inclusion | Room 2 | 9:00 AM ET | 11:00 AM ET | VIRTUAL MENTOR-ROOM 2 SESSION 1-IFEOMA Time: Feb 27, 2026 02:30 PM Eastern Time Join Zoom Meeting https://mit.zoom.us/j/96616945201 |
| Adewale Yusuf | EdTech & Media | Room 2 | 11:00 AM ET | 1:00 PM ET | VIRTUAL MENTOR-ROOM 2 SESSION 2-ADEWALE Time: Feb 27, 2026 11:00 AM Eastern Time Join Zoom Meeting https://mit.zoom.us/j/92855250889 T |
| Kelvin Umechukwu | Digital Commerce | Room 2 | 2:00 PM ET | 4:00 PM ET | VIRTUAL MENTOR-ROOM 2 SESSION 3- KELVIN Time: Feb 27, 2026 02:00 PM Eastern Time Join Zoom Meeting https://mit.zoom.us/j/95496669567 |
Meet Our Judges
Distinguished industry leaders and innovators bringing real-world expertise to evaluate and inspire the next generation of builders.
Yoma Onosemuode
Yoma Onosemuode is a travel-tech founder and ecosystem builder with 15+ years of experience in Global and African travel and commerce. He is the founder/CEO of Travelbay, building the infrastructure that connects Africa to the world through seamless travel planning, payments, and operations. He also builds community across the US through Travelbay events for professionals, founders, VCs, creatives, etc, enabling business and career growth through positive peer engagements, collaboration and networking.
Philip Abel
Philip is a highly accomplished technology leader with a strong background in software engineering, AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. He currently serves as Co-founder & CTO at Cleva Banking, driving customer-centric innovations in emerging markets. Previously held senior engineering roles at Twilio, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Akamai Technologies. Philip is skilled in software development, cloud architecture, and team leadership. He holds a Master's degree in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Partners
