Dubai-based technology company Yango has selected 24 startup founders from six African countries for its expanded Pan-African Fellowship, positioning the cohort as a pipeline for the next generation of billion-dollar tech companies outside the continent’s established startup hubs.
The 2026 programme drew more than 600 applicants for 24 places. Fellows came from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Zambia, Senegal, Ethiopia and Mozambique. The 12-week curriculum covered problem identification, product design, technology implementation, business development and pitching. Participants worked in mixed-country teams before presenting final projects at a Pitch Day in Abidjan.
Yango’s Director of Operations for MEA and Asia, Shashi Singh, said the company wants to see “a couple of unicorns” emerge from these markets within three to five years. “I want the next unicorn to come out of these frontier markets,” he told Business Insider Africa, arguing that talent is widespread but structured access to mentorship and opportunity remains limited.
Projects and Prizes
The six team projects addressed practical challenges including cashless transport payments, digital financial identity, medicine supply visibility, job matching, smart waste collection and affordable water-quality testing. A total of $12,000 in prizes was awarded:
- First place ($4,500): Africoded , an AI-assisted platform connecting African job seekers with cross-border employment and remote work opportunities.
- Second place ($2,500): Harambee , a waste collection and recycling platform linking households, collectors and recyclers.
- Third place ($1,500): Bloom , a cashless fare-collection system for informal public transport.
- Best individual project ($1,500): Fredrick Mwepu of Zambia for RoboCore Zambia, a robotics platform aimed at making practical STEM education more affordable.
The fellowship has grown steadily since its launch. It began in one country, expanded to two, and this year covers six. Yango operates mobility, delivery and related digital services across more than 30 markets and also runs a venture arm that invests in African startups. The fellowship is designed to identify early talent and create a pathway that can later connect to capital and further support.
By focusing on markets that typically receive less attention than Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa or Egypt, Yango is betting that the next wave of scalable African tech companies can emerge from a broader geographic base provided founders receive structured mentorship and the chance to test solutions against real local problems.
