Editor’s note: African-Startups is a sister publication of EU-Startups, bringing trusted coverage of startups, venture capital, and innovation across Africa.
The Challenger Digital & Green Accelerator, a European Union-backed programme supporting startups across Eastern and Southern Africa, has announced the winners of its inaugural Cohort 1.0, awarding €50,000 in prize money to six ventures developing solutions in clean technology, circular economy, sustainable agriculture and waste management.
The winners were announced following a five-month acceleration programme that culminated at Latitude59 in Tallinn, Estonia, where founders pitched their ventures after months of mentorship, technical support and investment-readiness training. The accelerator is funded by the European Commission and the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) as part of the Digital and Green Innovation (DGI) Action, an initiative led by the European Union and its member states, including Germany, France, Belgium, Estonia and the Netherlands.
The Challenger Digital & Green Accelerator was launched to support entrepreneurs from Eastern and Southern Africa tackling environmental and economic challenges through technology-driven innovation. The programme is delivered in partnership with ecosystem organisations including Civitta, GrowthAfrica, mLab Southern Africa, Latitude59 and Startup Wise Guys.
According to Challenger Accelerator, the programme brought together startups building solutions at the intersection of digital innovation, sustainability and circular economy principles, helping them transform early-stage ideas into scalable businesses capable of attracting investment and expanding across markets.
The inaugural cohort followed a structured six-stage programme. Applications opened on 16 October 2025, and closed on 17 November 2025. The shortlisted founders were invited to regional pre-acceleration bootcamps held in December 2025, with separate sessions for East African and Southern African startups.
The selected ventures then entered a five-month acceleration phase running from December 2025 to April 2026. During this period, startups received mentorship, technical assistance, expert-led workshops, and investment-readiness training aimed at preparing them for growth and fundraising.
The programme culminated in a Demo Day in April 2026, where participating startups pitched to investors and ecosystem partners. The top-performing ventures were subsequently invited to Latitude59 in Tallinn in May 2026, gaining international exposure and opportunities to engage with investors, entrepreneurs and innovation stakeholders from Europe and beyond.
In a LinkedIn post, Challenger Accelerator described the participating ventures as “bold, purpose-driven and impactful,” before highlighting the role they play in advancing sustainable development across Eastern and Southern Africa.
The Explore Coalition emerged as the winner of the Southern Africa cohort, securing first place and a €12,500 prize. The startup is developing aluminium-ion battery technology designed to provide a sustainable alternative to conventional energy storage systems.
Second place and €7,500 went to South African startup GreenALOT, which is building a platform that connects recycling communities with transportation providers to improve the collection and movement of recyclable materials.
CIFTEX secured third place and received €5,000 for its approach to converting waste streams into affordable construction materials.
In the Eastern Africa cohort, Kenya’s Rock Electronic Waste Solutions claimed first place and a €12,500 prize. The company focuses on responsible electronic waste collection, recycling and resource recovery, helping tackle the growing challenge of e-waste across the continent.
Uganda-based Freza Nanotech took second place and received €7,500. The startup develops nanotechnology-based packaging solutions designed to extend the shelf life of fresh produce and reduce post-harvest losses.
Arinifu Technologies, also from Kenya, secured third place and a €5,000 prize. The company has developed a smart poultry brooder system that helps farmers reduce chick mortality through automated temperature and environmental management.
The six winning startups were selected from a wider group of founders working on solutions spanning clean energy, recycling, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and green construction.
With Cohort 1.0 now complete, the winning startups join the Challenger Accelerator alumni network, positioning them to leverage new partnerships, investor connections and international opportunities as they continue scaling their businesses across Africa and beyond.
