Engineering bootcamp helps Ugandan students turn projects into startups

The Royal Academy of Engineering is backing young innovators in Uganda by connecting its alumni to engineering students with startup ideas.

The Academy has trained and funded innovators for over a decade through its Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation and Leaders in Innovation Fellowships.

It is now extending that impact by encouraging more than 100 alumni to mentor early-stage student founders at universities across Uganda.

Each mentor gives one to two hours weekly to help students refine ideas and solve real community problems.

This support comes through the Engineering Innovation Bootcamp Uganda, a six-week programme for final-year engineering students. The bootcamp focuses on turning academic projects into viable businesses.

Students receive practical training in prototyping, business planning, pitching and commercialisation, guided by experienced alumni.

The programme is led by Anatoli Kirigwajjo of Yunga Technologies, an Africa Prize winner in 2023; Kelvin Mulama of ShopOkoa, named Leaders in Innovation Fellowships Innovator of the Year in 2025; and Catalina Isaza Falla of Innmetec, a fellowship alumna and MIT Innovator Under 35 in 2023. The organisers say the initiative will expand to more universities next year.

The idea gained urgency during UNESCO Africa Engineering Week and the 9th Africa Engineering Conference, where experts questioned why many engineering graduates across Africa struggle to find skilled work after graduation.

The bootcamp responds to challenges highlighted in the Engineers for Africa 2025 report by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The report points to low engineer-to-population ratios, growing unemployment among engineers, outdated training and weak links between universities and industry.

By closing the gap between education and entrepreneurship, the programme aims to strengthen Uganda’s innovation ecosystem. It also supports more female-led engineering startups and aligns with global goals on quality education, gender equality and industrial innovation.

The first cohort shortlisted 150 students from universities including Makerere University, Kampala International University, Kyambogo University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Gulu University and Cavendish University Uganda, among others.

Twelve teams advanced to the final stage. Five teams received Shs1 million each, while one team won Shs500,000 through a public vote. Angel investors attending the demo day committed up to US$1,000 per team. Organisers expect supported startups to raise up to $10,000 within two years.

The first cohort is projected to create 500 jobs. The wider programme is expected to contribute to hundreds of thousands of jobs across Africa by 2030, positioning Ugandan engineering students as future founders rather than job seekers.