Qualcomm launches 2024 Africa startup mentorship program

Semiconductor and software giant, Qualcomm Technologies, has completed the first year of its Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Program and is opening applications for 2024 and adding on new features like intellectual property rights training and a patent filing incentive fund.

Ten startups from across Africa were chosen earlier this year for the inaugural seven-month mentorship program which is part of the Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform that was announced back in December 2022.

The startups – based in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana and Rwanda – were selected from a pool of over 550 applicants from 34 African countries.

The equity-free mentorship program built on Qualcomm's experience from operating similar initiatives in India, Taiwan and Vietnam, with an objective to identify promising early-stage deep-technology startups that use connectivity, computing and artificial intelligence (AI) as part of their end-to-end systems offering.

The final ten startups were provided with business coaching, access to engineering consultation for product development, and guidance on protecting intellectual property.

"The enterprising individuals and teams [chosen] have shown extraordinary determination and vision as they harness technology to address pressing societal challenges, and seize untapped opportunities," Qualcomm VP and Head of Government Affairs for Middle East and Africa, Elizabeth Migwalla, said on a webinar about the 2023 program this week.

"Collaboration such as these are key to Africa's journey from technology consumer to technology creator," she added.

Elizabeth Migwalla, Qualcomm VP and Head of Government Affairs for Middle East and Africa. (Source: Qualcomm).

Migwalla said the ten startups worked tirelessly through hundreds of hours of master classes and specialized clinics on everything from business development to branding. They attended technology training covering topics such as 5G, extended reality and machine learning and had focused mentorship one-on-ones and engaging ask-me-anything sessions with startup founders from across the globe.

"These startups have found incredible solutions for problems they see in their countries and communities. The market for their innovation is global and we are proud to play a small part in their global journey," added VP for Engineering at Qualcomm Technology Licensing, Sudeepto Roy.

Migwalla said the company believes that African startups are best placed to identify unique services or innovations that address specific African issues and needs.

"In building this program, we also had a clear goal to seek out women entrepreneurs and encourage them to apply. I'm proud to point out that several of the startups here today also feature women in prominent leadership roles," she added.

The inaugural cohort included these startups:

New patent and intellectual property training in 2024

The Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Program falls under Qualcomm's Africa Innovation Platform which is a suite of mentorship, education, and training programs created to support the development of Africa's emerging technology ecosystem.

Qualcomm this week announced several additional benefits to the Innovation Platform for next year's participants including the addition of social impact funds from the Qualcomm Wireless Reach Initiative to help Make in Africa startups scale.

It also introduced a patent filing incentive fund, to help startups protect their inventions through patenting. Under the fund, Qualcomm will reimburse the drafting and filing fees for one utility patent per startup, and the startups will retain all rights to their patent.

"Qualcomm was once a startup and invention is in our DNA. Generations of cellular communication systems have been built using our patented and standardized inventions. In addition to helping startups through technology, we feel that imparting the innovation DNA is equally important for long term success," Roy said about the reasons behind the patent fund.

He said that according to UN data, in 2020 Africa accounted for less than 1% of the world's patent applications despite having 17% of the world's population. Of these filings only one in five originated from African inventors.

"Patent incentives can work as part of a set of solutions to this problem. Since 2018, over 100 of Qualcomm's incubated startups in India, Taiwan, and Vietnam, have collectively filed more than 700 patents. We look forward to similar outcomes in the African continent," he added.

Sudeepto Roy, VP for Engineering at Qualcomm Technology Licensing. (Source: Qualcomm).

Roy also announced a new training program to help startups understand their intellectual property rights (IP).

"Among many factors that inhibit full participation of African inventors in the innovation economy, is the lack of awareness and training about intellectual property rights," Roy said.

The Learn to Protect Africa - or L2Pro Africa - IP e-learning Platform is a free online training program designed to empower startups, SMEs, and researchers in Africa to protect, secure, and maximize their innovations.

"The program draws from globally applicable IP principles developed by IP law experts for similar courses offered in India and the US. Another crucial part of L2Pro Africa is training on filing procedures in select African countries and patent unions. The material has been prepared and directed by attorneys from our collaborating law firm, Adams and Adams, based out of South Africa," Roy explained.

Building tech-forward curriculum across Africa

Migwalla said that another way in which Qualcomm has been supporting Africa's burgeoning tech ecosystem is through its work in education through the Qualcomm Africa University Relations Program.

"We're collaborating with universities on the continent to enhance engineering curriculum and provide technology training. We have a pilot engagement with the University of Buea in Cameroon which is focused on extended reality, robotics, AI, and machine learning using Qualcomm platforms and developer kits," she explained.

In addition, through the Qualcomm Academy, it is working with universities and the industry on training, distribution, and certification of 5G technologies and standards in Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, and Rwanda.

"Our hope is that these programs will inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs while also fueling the broader https:tech ecosystem throughout Africa," Migwalla concluded.

Follow Connecting Africa on our new X account @connect__africa to get the latest telecoms and tech news across Africa.

Startups interested in the Qualcomm Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Program for 2024 can apply here

Applications opened on December 11, 2023, and will close on February 18, 2024. Shortlisted startups will be announced in March 2024 and the program will run from April to November 2024.

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*Top image source: Image by Freepik.

— Paula Gilbert, Editor, Connecting Africa