The ABF2026 Startup Pitch Competition finals take place on Day 2, October 16, on the main stage at Sarit Expo Centre in front of 3,000+ attendees and 300+ investors.
The pitch competition is one of the two things that closes Day 2. It sits on the main stage, in the full conference format, in front of the same room that opened the day with technical keynotes on Africa’s blockchain infrastructure. The companies that make the finals are presenting to the most concentrated gathering of African Web3 investors on the continent this year.
What ABF2025 Showed
Startups that showed up to ABF2025 in Kigali left with more than exposure. The exhibition floor and pitch sessions produced relationships that turned into funding conversations and term sheets in the months that followed. One Lagos-based developer pitched in the ABF2025 exhibition hall and closed a seed round two months later.
The opportunity is real. The audience is there.
Who Should Apply
The competition is open to Web3 startups with a working product or advanced prototype. Your solution should address a genuine problem in the African digital economy.
Applications are welcome across all three ABF2026 pillars:
Capital — fintech, DeFi, payments, stablecoin infrastructure, tokenisation
Code — developer tools, blockchain infrastructure, AI and blockchain integration
Continuity — digital identity, policy tools, governance, community infrastructure
Startups from across the continent and the diaspora are encouraged to apply. You do not need to be based in Kenya.
The Format
Qualifying rounds run on Day 1, October 15. Finalists compete on the main stage on Day 2, October 16. The winner is announced live at the close of the Day 2 programme. Full judging criteria will be published on africablockchainfestival.com.
For investors, a VIP or Investor Pass includes full access to Day 2, the pitch competition finals, and the Speaker and Investor Dinner on the evening of October 16.
| Apply and register at africablockchainfestival.com. |