Every funding cycle, we go looking for the same thing: grassroots organizations across Africa who are already doing the work, often with very little, and who could do so much more with the right support behind them. This year, we were especially interested in one question: who is finding real, practical ways to put technology and AI to work for their communities?
That question became the 2026 Future African Tech Leaders Campaign (FATLC).
The search
The applications came in from every corner of the ecosystem: 25 in total, each one tackling a different piece of Africa’s development puzzle. Digital literacy. Health diagnostics. STEM education for children. Career readiness. Entrepreneurship. All of it, in one way or another, reaching for the same outcome; communities equipped to build their own future.
After the application window closed, our committee got to work. We read every submission, ran validation interviews with each shortlisted team, and sat with founders to understand not just what they’d built, but why, and what they’d do with more.
Five organizations made it to the final round.
A hard room to sit in
Here’s the thing nobody tells you about running a grant cycle: the hardest part isn’t finding good organizations. It’s choosing between them.
Every one of our five finalists was already driving impact in its own way, and every one of them was doing it with limited resources. Some had built AI tools already in the hands of users. Others had a founder who was the entire team, showing up every day anyway. Each conversation made the decision harder, not easier, because rewarding one good idea always means not funding four other good ideas.
But a grant cycle means a decision has to be made. We can only have one winner.
Announcing SkillHer Africa
We’re proud to announce SkillHer Africa as the recipient of our 2026 FATLC grant.
Founded in 2022 by Kofoworola Akinsola, SkillHer has spent the last few years doing quiet, consistent work: equipping underserved women and youth with digital skills, entrepreneurship training, internet safety awareness, and career readiness. At the center of it is SkillHer Coach, their AI-powered coaching platform, built with an engineering team that understands both the technology and the community it’s designed to serve.
What set SkillHer apart wasn’t just the platform. It was the grounding; a founder with real domain expertise in the space she’s building for, and a track record of turning that expertise into something people actually use.
To everyone who applied
If you submitted an application this year and didn’t make the final cut, or made it to the final five and weren’t selected, this isn’t a reflection of the work you’re doing. Five organizations made it to our final round, and every single one of them is building something that matters. We see you, and we hope to find more ways to support this ecosystem in cycles to come.
Congratulations, SkillHer. We can’t wait to see what the next few months build.