Closed-room. 80 seats. Application-only. Active investors who have funded African blockchain companies walk through term sheets, valuation, due diligence, and what kills deals. Practical. Blunt.
A dedicated programming block for women leading in blockchain, policy, finance, and tech. Moderated by a woman. Panellists are women. Focused on ecosystem building, not inspiration theatre. Outputs include a public statement from the forum on what ABF2026's women leaders commit to.
15:30ABF STARTUP PITCH — CAPITAL TRACK: Qualifying RoundsMAIN STAGEPitch
Sarit Expo Centre, Arabuko Hall | Open to all registered attendees
Built here, built for here, built to last. Developers, builders, policymakers, and the creator economy converge.
08:00Coffee, Builder Check-InMAIN STAGEPre-event
09:00Day 2 Opening: Code Is InfrastructureMAIN STAGEOpening
09:20Keynote: AI x Blockchain — The Convergence Africa Is Building FirstMAIN STAGEKeynote
10:00Panel: Layer 2s, Rollups, and What African Developers Actually NeedMAIN STAGEPanel
10:45LIVE BUILD: Deploying a Smart Contract on an African Use Case — On Stage, In 20 MinutesMAIN STAGELive Demo
90 minutes. Run by Solana Foundation and Superteam Africa. Account setup, grant process, first program deployment. 80 seats. Hands-on, not conceptual.
11:00Creator Infrastructure: Blockchain, Identity, and the African Creator EconomyTRACK B — CREATOR ECONOMYTRACK B — CREATOR ECONOMY
11:00Regulatory Briefing: What Every Builder Needs to Know Before They ShipTRACK C — POLICY FOR TECHIES (Mwina Room)TRACK C — POLICY FOR TECHIES (Mwina Room)Briefing
11:00Getting Started in Web3: A Practical Guide for StudentsTRACK D — STUDENT AND UNIVERSITY TRACK (Maranga Room)TRACK D — STUDENT AND UNIVERSITY TRACK (Maranga Room)
12:30Networking Lunch + Hackathon Check-InTRACK A — BUILDERTRACK A — BUILDERNetworking
12:30Networking LunchTRACK C — POLICY FOR TECHIES (Mwina Room)TRACK C — POLICY FOR TECHIES (Mwina Room)Networking
12:30Networking Lunch + University Ambassador MeetupTRACK D — STUDENT AND UNIVERSITY TRACK (Maranga Room)TRACK D — STUDENT AND UNIVERSITY TRACK (Maranga Room)Networking
14:00Workshop: Smart Contracts for African Use CasesTRACK A — BUILDERTRACK A — BUILDERWorkshop
Run by Wanjiru Mwoka.
14:00Roundtable: Digital Identity, KYC, and What Africa’s Data Laws SayTRACK C — POLICY FOR TECHIES (Mwina Room)TRACK C — POLICY FOR TECHIES (Mwina Room)Roundtable
14:00Women Who Build: Stories from African Women in BlockchainTRACK D — STUDENT AND UNIVERSITY TRACK (Maranga Room)TRACK D — STUDENT AND UNIVERSITY TRACK (Maranga Room)
15:30Panel: DeFi Protocol Development for African MarketsTRACK A — BUILDERTRACK A — BUILDERPanel
15:30Panel: NFTs, Royalties, and On-Chain IP for African CreatorsTRACK B — CREATOR ECONOMYTRACK B — CREATOR ECONOMYPanel
15:30Policy Panel: AI Governance and Blockchain — What Africa Should Do DifferentlyTRACK C — POLICY FOR TECHIES (Mwina Room)TRACK C — POLICY FOR TECHIES (Mwina Room)Policy Panel
15:30Hackathon Help Desk + Mentorship Sessions.TRACK D — STUDENT AND UNIVERSITY TRACK (Maranga Room)TRACK D — STUDENT AND UNIVERSITY TRACK (Maranga Room)Help Desk
17:00ABF STARTUP PITCH FINALS — TOP 5 COMPETE LIVEMain StagePitch
19:15ABF2026 Closing Party — All DelegatesMAIN STAGE — AFTERNOON CLOSEEvening
CONTINUITY
Day 3 — October 17, 2026
The Long Game
Off-site, Nairobi | VIPs, Professionals, Speakers, and Senior Partners only | By invitation
VIPs only. Football, Nairobi, dinner, and the announcement that closes ABF2026.
09:00Welcome on the PitchMORNING — 7-A-SIDE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENTOpening
Four regional teams: East Africa, West Africa, North/South Africa, Global Select. Investors, founders, developers, and policymakers on the same team. Refereed. Competitive. Live match statistics tracked via the tournament app.
10:45Semi-FinalsMORNING — 7-A-SIDE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENTTournament
11:15Final + Trophy PresentationMORNING — 7-A-SIDE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENTCeremony
The only national park in the world inside a capital city. 90-minute private game drive. Nairobi's skyline visible against open savannah. Followed by late lunch at Carnivore or Rusty Nail.
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust + Giraffe Centre The elephant orphanage — one of Nairobi's most intimate and powerful experiences. Followed by the AFEW Giraffe Centre. Exceptional for photography and unstructured conversation.
Departs: 13:30 | Returns: 17:00
19:30Arrival and Pre-Dinner CocktailsEVENING — INVITE-ONLY CLOSING CEREMONY DINNERReception
20:15Seated Dinner — Three CoursesEVENING — INVITE-ONLY CLOSING CEREMONY DINNERDinner
