TechBBQ hosted the maiden Nordic-Africa Startup Summit, becoming the first mover in the Nordics to run such an event. We set out to rebrand Africa’s startup ecosystems in the Nordics – unshaped, untamed, but full of potential.

*A valid TechBBQ 2025 ticket was required to access the Nordic-Africa Startup Summit.

Two men in white shirts shaking hands at TechBBQ

Showcase

We will be showcasing startups, ecosystem leaders and academia in key sectors, i.e:

• Agrotech that addresses food security & supply chain challenges with tech-driven solutions.

• CleanTech that utilizes local, renewable energy sources and advanced technology solutions.

• FinTech that drives digital financial inclusion with secure, scalable and locally tailored solutions.

• Life Sciences that develop affordable, tech-enabled healthcare models addressing health challenges.

• EduTech, that delivers scalable, innovative learning solutions, that is accessible widely & to the most.

Participants

The Nordic-Africa Startup Summit will be a platform for founders, investors, VCs, policy makers and ecosystem leaders from both regions to connect and collaborate. 

Partners

Media Partner:

What to expect

Africa today is in a similar position as Asia was some 40 years ago—an emerging market with a large young population and growing access to technology.

Our Nordic Africa Stage focused on fostering deeper collaborations by strengthening ties with Africa and opening doors to new markets, private equity, and growth opportunities.

For the first time, we brought African startups, ecosystem leaders, universities, and policymakers to the stage to showcase African innovation and the opportunities it presents.

Two speakers presenting to an attentive audience under a tent at TechBBQ, with a screen showing "The Impact?"

Meet the presenters

We invited founders, investors, universities, and policymakers to the Nordic Africa Startup Summit to exchange ideas and innovative approaches, address challenges within startup ecosystems, and explore how to capitalize on Africa’s growth.

Lyndsay Holley Handler

Co-Founder and Managing Partner Delta40 Venture Studio and VC Fund

Mutembei Kariuki

Co-founder and CEO at Fastagger Inc

Tonny Omwansa

CEO at Kenya National Innovation Agency

Kim Balle

CEO and Co-Founder at XO Group (owner of Global Startup Awards)

Jesper Drescher

Partner at JVD Invest K/S

Tue Lehn-Schiøler

CEO at BrainCapture

Hanna Carlsson

Nominations Coordinator at Food Planet Prize

Kola Aina

Founding Partner at Ventures Platform Limited

Prudence Mafuta Persson

CEO and Co-Founder at Manje Health

Hilda Moraa

CEO & Founder at Pezesha Ltd

Lamin K. Darboe

CEO & Founder at BANTABA AB

Kiko Muuo

CEO at Angaza Elimu

Gideon Kyalo

Director Africa at Unumed

Oluwatobi Adewumi

Executive Director at InnovateHealth Africa

Mikkel Hansen

Founder & COO at Renergy Solar

Pierre Jallow

Co-Founder / CEO at Remode

Lone Søndergaard

Investment Director at Abler Nordic

Jimmy Scavenius

Founder & CEO at Kwera

Riches Attai

CEO and Co-Founder at Winich Farms

Florence S. Charamba

Founder, Business Strategist, Author at Afrika Consultancy

Phaedria Marie St.Hilaire

Angel Investor at Purple Orchid

Rotimi Thomas

CEO and Co-Founder at SunFi

Segun Ogunbajo

Founder & CEO at Safam Digital Hub Limited

Carl Joachim Brandt

Chairman, MD, PhD, GP at Peoples Doctor

Lisbeth Stausholm Zacho

Founder/Managing Partner at Nordic Impact Funds

Ope Onaboye

CEO / Co-founder of Renda

Rune Gunnar Dige

CEO of RDG Africa

Catherine Cax

Managing Director, Investments at Soros Economic Development Fund

Ahmed Elmurtada

Managing Partner at 249Startups

Søren Peter Andreasen

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Impact Fund Denmark

Lars Bo Bertram

CEO of Impact Fund Denmark

Ndunge Kiiti

Adjunct Associate Professor at Cornell University

Anna Cecilia Frellsen

CEO of Maternity Foundation

Kidus Asfaw

CEO of Kubik

Johanna Raehalme

Investment Director at Impact Fund Denmark

Hiram Githuku

Investment Manager at Goodwell Investments

Andrew Julius Bende

Senior Associate at BioInnovation Institute (BII)

Tsakane Ngoepe

Product Director at M-KOPA

Anish Thakkar

Co-Founder of Sun King

Deepali Nangia

Partner at Speedinvest

Joojo Ocran

Director, Strategic Partnerships at Startupbootcamp Afritech

Faith Obange

Founder and CEO of Lwanda Biotech

Richard Okoth Omondi

Director/Founder at Nisitu Network Enterprise

Keiran Smith

Co-Founder at Mr. Green Africa

James Odongo

CEO at Kenya Extended Producer Responsibility Organization (KEPRO)

Juliana Rotich

Founder and CEO of BRCK Inc

Mikkel Frich

Senior Advisor of cBrain

Zakaria Hersi

Portfolio & Investment Manager at The Inner Foundation

Joyce Mutuku

Commercial Lead at Tawi Fresh Kenya Limited

Marie Gad Hansen

Senior Director at Danish Industry

Stine Jersie Olsen

Nordic Head of Private Banking Growth of Danske Bank Growth

Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy at Federal Government of Nigeria

Abel Kamau

Trade and Policy Manager at Kenya Association of Manufacturers

Professor Shaukat Abdulrazak

Principal Secretary - State Department for Science, Research and Innovation at Government of Kenya

Claire van Enk

CEO / Founder of Farm to Feed

Ole Thonke

Climate Ambassador & Undersecretary for Development Policy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Denmark

Meet the moderators

We invited founders, investors, universities, and policymakers to the Nordic Africa Startup Summit to exchange ideas and innovative approaches, address challenges within startup ecosystems, and explore ways to capitalize on Africa’s growth.

Natalie Becker-Aakervik

Master of Ceremonies / Co-Founder at at Thought Leader Global AS

Rodney Carew

Head of Investor Relations at Delta40 Studio and VC Fund

Golda Fania

Co-Founder & Executive Director at MAWA Health Ltd.

Sherif Kesseba

Managing Partner of Climate Resilient Africa Fund

Alvaro Perezcano

Principal at Speedinvest

Klaus Lehn Christensen

East Africa Manager at Danish Industry

Desirée Pettersson

Investor and Head of Impact at Satgana

Tine Fisker Henriksen

Managing Director at BESTSELLER Foundation

Jacklynne Anyango Ogutu

Head of Digital Health Solutions at World Diabetes Foundation

Anders Boelskifte Mogensen

CEO, Founderment at BESTSELLER FOUNDATION

Johnni Kjelsgaard

Founder & Executive Chairman at GrowthAfrica

Hans Henrik Groth

CEO and Founder at CrossWorkers

Peter Høyer

Journalist at BØRSEN

2025 Program

Advancing a pro-entrepreneurship & pro-innovation Policy. How Nigeria is building platforms and policies that support talent, employment and impact investments. A ministerial address on Digital Public Infrastructure and Nigeria’s digital transformation by Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani – Federal Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (Republic of Nigeria).

Speaking:
Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani

Focusing on opportunities on the African continent vis á vis policy and business growth priorities for Danish companies. A high-level debate by Danish Industry and Impact Fund Denmark.

Panelists:
Marie Gad Hansen – Senior Director at Danish Industry
Lars Bo Bertram – CEO at Impact Fund Denmark
Ole Thonke – Climate Ambassador & Undersecretary for Development Policy

Join two powerhouse entrepreneurs turned investors, Kola Aina and Lyndsay Handler, as they share hard-won insights from both sides of the table; revealing what it takes to build scalable, impactful ventures in Africa and how to find investment opportunities in a rapidly changing landscape.

Panelists:
Lyndsay Handler
Kola Aina

Meet three leaders that are building commercial, market-leading companies across Africa – each with a clear mission: Tsakane Ngoepe from M-KOPA, Nick Hu from Sand Technologies & Keiran Smith from Mr. Green Africa.

Panelists:
Tsakane Ngoepe
Keiran Smith
Nick Hu

What does it take to build a massive business or a profitable investment in Africa. Shedding light on how contexts differ from the Nordics (for instance, no infrastructure to build on, consumer differences, capital gaps, etc.) we meet investors, founders, funds and a bank who have ventured into Africa

Panelists:
Stine Jersie Olesen
Jesper Drescher
Johanna Raehalme
Lisbeth Zacho
Lone Søndergaard

12:00 - 12:30 LUNCH BREAK

What Role or Roles is the Diaspora playing in the startup ecosystem in Africa? From investing in startups to launching innovation platforms and impact funds, the Diaspora is moving beyond remittances and stepping into roles as builders, connectors and policy influencers.

Panelists:
Oluwatobi Adewumi
Ahmed Elmurtada
Pierre Jallow
Lamin K Darboe

Technology as an enabler for increasing trade and partnerships between Kenya and technology as an enabler for increasing trade and partnerships between Kenya and Denmark in the backdrop of EU-Kenya business forum.

Panelists:
Abel Kamau
James Odongo
Richard Okoth Omondi

Kenya has emerged as a beacon of digital transformation, showcasing how a robust digital ecosystem can drive economic growth, enhance public services and improve the quality of life for its citizens.

Speaker:
Prof. Shaukat Ali Abdulrazak

How healthcare providers and insurers can reach more clients and serve them efficiently via technology and innovation, scouting viable markets, reviewing regulatory landscapes and eventually creating a go-to-market strategy.

Panelists:
Tue Lehn-Schiøler
Prudence Persson
Anna Frellsen
Gideon Kyalo
Carl Brandt

The future of innovation for Startups & Scaleups: spin-outs from education centers. Lessons from the Nordics and Africa where promoting enterprise and innovation is crucial for development.

Panelists:
Phaedria St. Hilaire
Andrew Bende
Prof. Ndunge Kiiti
Dr. Tonny Omwansa

Building to Matter: Transformative technologies that fix problems and help people.

Speaker:
Juliana Rotich

Building high-growth African startups at the intersection of agri-food, agri-tech and climate change while advocating different / new continental supply chain mechanisms and ecosystems. How are we solving daily and long-term challenges?

Panelists:
Riches Attai
Hanna Carlsson
Claire van Enk
Ope Onaboye

Data and Learnings. Lessons from tech innovation startups across Africa.

Speaker:
Kim Balle

15:05 - 15:15 COFFEE BREAK

In April 2024, the World Bank and the African Development Bank launched Mission 300 – to provide access to 300 million people across Africa by 2030. Achieving electricity independence requires ingenuity: private-sector innovators, Government policies, substantial public and private investment. Can Nordic-Africa cooperation kick-start electrifying 600 million people who live off the grid.

Panelists:
Anish Thakkar
Rune Dige
Rotimi Thomas
Mikkel Hansen

The Nordic region has been building and improving CleanTech for decades. Listen to the Founder of one of Africa’s leading Climate-Tech companies talk on a new and pioneering platform turning waste into a resource.

Speaking:
Kidus Asfaw

A leading Danish company that exemplifies impactful cross-continental collaboration and innovation. Mikkel will share how cBrain’s Digital Process Library, featuring the highly prominent “Paperless Ministry” , empowers governments globally to achieve seamless, culturally aligned digital transformation.

Speaker:
Mikkel Frich

Can we solve bottom-of-pyramid challenges in education using AI, IoT and Blockchain? Eg. Deep Tech AI focused infrastructure enabled or ML models run on smartphones in low power and low connectivity environments. AI-powered adaptive & interactive eLearning for personalized learning experiences. Enterprise cloud infrastructure and solutions for next-generation insurtech.

Panelists:
Mutembei Kariuki
Hilda Moraa
Kiko Muuo
Oluwasegun Adetola Ogunbajo

Exploring the opportunities and challenges with Venture Capital Investing in Africa. Are VCs force-fitting their instruments into an unwilling market? What challenges and opportunities can strengthen VCs with the exit of USAID? Tackling the lack of boots on the ground, a single market, regulation, infrastructure and hands on expertise etc.

Panelists:
Catherine Cax
Hiram Githuku
Deepali Nangia
Søren Peter Andreasen

ARE charitable Foundations in Europe looking to Africa? Impact creation through philanthropic investments in Africa – challenges and opportunities.

Panelists:
Zakaria Hersi
Joojo Ocran
Jimmy Scaveneus
Lone Søndergaard

Beyond boardroom briefs and economic forecasts

Speaker:
Florence Charamba Christensen

Speakers:
Natalie Becker & Charles Kinga

Why should you join?

Connect

with like-minded entrepreneurs, investors and companies focused on Africa.

Access

new markets, forge valuable partnerships and attract necessary investments.

Support

emerging startups within Life Sciences, AgroTech, Clean Tech, EdTech & FinTech.

Expand

your horizons on Nordic Africa collaborations and the possibilities that lie in Africa.

Have any further questions?

For inquiries, please contact our Project Leader, Charles chk@techbbq.org

Charles Kinga

Project Leader
Email: chk@techbbq.org