Qualcomm Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Program 2026 ($5,000 Stipend)

The Qualcomm® Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Program 2026, is a high-level, equity-free initiative for early-stage startups leveraging advanced technologies like AI, IoT, and 5G. With a $5,000 stipend for every startup that completes the program and specialized support for patent filing, this is arguably the best technical “finishing school” for African tech founders.

The Qualcomm Make in Africa Program is the flagship initiative of the Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform. Now in its fourth year, the program identifies up to 10 promising startups from across the continent and provides them with the technical “DNA” of a global tech giant.

​If your startup is building “End-to-End” systems—meaning you are integrating hardware with intelligent software—Qualcomm wants to help you refine your product architecture and protect your inventions.

Key Benefits for Startups

The program offers a mix of financial, technical, and legal support that is hard to find elsewhere:

• ​Equity-Free Stipend: Every startup that successfully completes the program requirements receives a USD $5,000 stipend.
• ​Social Impact Fund: One standout startup will be awarded a larger grant from the Qualcomm® Wireless Reach™ Social Impact Fund to scale their solution.
• ​1:1 Mentorship: Direct access to Qualcomm’s subject matter experts for business coaching and engineering consultation.
• ​Patent Filing Support: This is a standout feature. Qualcomm provides reimbursement of up to $5,000 for one full utility patent application and offers professional IP consultations with Adams & Adams, Africa’s leading IP law firm.
• ​Masterclasses & Training: Expert-led training in AI (including AI-Hub), 5G, IoT, Extended Reality (XR), and Compute (AI-PC).

Related content: Access Recently Updated Funding and grants opportunities for Startups

Eligibility Criteria

Qualcomm is looking for startups that are pushing the boundaries of what is possible on the continent.

• ​Location: Must be a registered company operating within any African country.
• ​Stage: Early-stage startups (Pre-seed to Seed), ideally with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
• ​Tech Focus: You must be building solutions in:
  • ​Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Edge Compute.
  • ​Internet of Things (IoT) and Connectivity.
  • ​5G & Advanced Networking.
  • ​Hardware-enabled systems (use-case proposals based on Arduino Uno Q are highly welcome).

Application Details

The window for the 2026 edition is officially open and only 10 startups will be selected, ensure that your application is technically sound and commercially ambitious.

• ​Application Deadline: February 15, 2026
• ​Shortlisting Phase: March 2026
• ​Program Duration: April 2026 – November 2026

Apply Now for the Qualcomm Make in Africa Startup Mentorship

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