Ugandan AI startup wins support from American tech giant

A Ugandan startup has been selected for support under Qualcomm’s Make in Africa Mentorship Programme, placing it among 10 innovators chosen from more than 1,200 applications across 45 African countries.

The selected Ugandan company, TWave Ltd, develops an automated solar-powered fish feeding system designed to improve aquaculture productivity.

Qualcomm Incorporated announced the fourth cohort on April 13, 2026, saying the initiative supports Africa’s deep-technology ecosystem through mentorship, engineering guidance and business coaching.

The programme focuses on advanced connectivity and processing technologies such as Edge AI, IoT and artificial intelligence development platforms.

The selected startups operate in sectors including agriculture, smart infrastructure, assistive technology, electric mobility and education.

TWave Ltd from Uganda was chosen for its solar-powered automated fish feeding system aimed at improving efficiency for fish farmers.

Participants will receive technical mentorship, business coaching and access to engineering consultations. They will also get support on product design and intellectual property protection, including patent filing guidance.

Qualcomm said all startups will receive a $5,000 stipend upon completion of programme requirements, while one startup will win a Social Impact Fund grant at the finale.

Wassim Chourbaji, Qualcomm’s President for Middle East and Africa, said the selected startups reflect Africa’s growing innovation ecosystem. He said the companies are using technologies such as Edge AI and advanced connectivity to build scalable solutions for real-world challenges.

Participants will also receive Edge AI-capable platforms from Arduino, alongside one-on-one mentorship and business support to help move ideas to commercial deployment. The programme further provides intellectual property education and access to legal guidance for patent protection.

The initiative is implemented under the Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform, which aims to support early-stage startups building high-tech solutions across the continent. Officials said the programme will help innovators develop products and scale them for market adoption.