Start with the user.
Define the painful, specific problem and the people who experience it.
AFROFUTURETECH / CREATATHON 2026
From idea
to SaaS.
A national youth acceleration programme that moves ambitious teams through applications, regional bootcamps, a 48-hour iFest build sprint and a pathway to funding, mentorship and incubation.
48HOURS TO
BUILD THE MVP
BUILD THE MVP
FESTIVAL FINAL / 03-06 DECEMBER 2026 / LAGOS
4-7people per team
6geopolitical zones
5months of acceleration
1Pan-African pathway
NOT ANOTHER CERTIFICATE-ONLY HACKATHON
Talent is abundant.
Structured pathways are not.
Creatathon is designed as a startup pipeline, not a weekend dead end. Student and recent-graduate teams identify a real problem, build a technology-enabled solution, test its commercial logic and pitch for the support needed to keep going.
The strongest teams move from visibility to practical venture support: mentorship, investor introductions, legal guidance, incubation and a route toward Pan-African competition.
Follow the full journeyTHE 2026 PIPELINE
One idea.
Six decisive moves.
The programme begins nationally and narrows toward the live iFest final. Exact regional venues and shortlisted-team schedules will be confirmed directly with participants.
- 01 / JULYNational call
Teams submit the problem, target user, proposed solution and early evidence behind the idea.
- 02 / AUG-SEPRegional bootcamps
Zonal sessions sharpen customer discovery, product thinking, team roles and pitch readiness.
- 03 / OCTOBERMVP refinement
Selected teams receive focused training, mentor feedback and a practical build plan for the final.
- 04 / NOVEMBERFinalist readiness
Mentor clinics, technical checks and problem-validation reviews prepare teams for the live sprint.
- 05 / 03-05 DECThe 48-hour sprint
Teams build, test and turn their concept into a working SaaS MVP inside the AFTiFest ecosystem.
- 06 / 06 DECPitch and pathway
Finalists present to judges; selected ventures enter the award, incubation and Pan-African pathway.
INSIDE THE SPRINT
Build something
people can use.
Each team combines technical, product, creative and commercial thinking. Final challenge briefs and judging weights will be published before the build begins.
Make the promise clear.
Turn insight into a useful product concept, workflow and measurable outcome.
Ship the essential MVP.
Create the smallest credible SaaS experience that proves the core value.
Test the assumptions.
Gather user evidence, refine the model and document what still needs to be learned.
Show the path to scale.
Present the problem, product, traction logic, team and next use of capital.
CHALLENGE LANES
Build where the
need is real.
These opportunity areas guide early team formation. The final challenge brief may refine, combine or expand them.
AI & Data
Responsible intelligence, automation and decision tools for African contexts.
Fintech & Commerce
Inclusive payments, trade, access to capital and trusted digital transactions.
Climate & Circularity
Energy, agriculture, waste, resilience and systems that make growth sustainable.
Health & Humanity
Access, diagnostics, wellbeing and human-centred support at meaningful scale.
Learning & Future Work
Skills, employability and learning tools for a rapidly changing economy.
Culture & Creator Economy
Platforms that help African stories, talent and intellectual property travel further.
BEYOND DEMO DAY
The prize is a
venture pathway.
Winning is designed to unlock continuity, not a one-night headline. Final benefits remain subject to programme rules, confirmed funding and written award terms.
₦100MPROSPECTUS TARGET / SEED-FUNDING ARCHITECTURENot a guaranteed award. Final pool, allocation and conditions will be confirmed before participation.
Mentorship access
Ongoing sessions with founders, operators, investors and subject specialists.
Six-month incubation
Structured accelerator support spanning product, legal, workspace and cloud resources.
Investor introductions
Curated visibility with angels, venture leaders and development-finance networks.
Pan-African pathway
A route for selected ventures to represent Nigeria and build continental relevance.
Legal and media support
Early company and IP guidance alongside documentary, press and ecosystem exposure.
SPONSORSHIP & PARTNERSHIP
Fund the pipeline.
Not just the stage.
Align your organisation with youth innovation through challenge ownership, technical resources, mentorship, customer access, media amplification or venture support.
Title partnership
Programme-level association, naming architecture and integrated visibility across the Creatathon journey.
Category leadership
Exclusive alignment with a selected challenge vertical, award or high-value activation.
Onsite + digital
Branded experience, product demonstration and campaign visibility across selected channels.
Content + sampling
Useful product access, co-created content and presence within approved participant moments.
JOIN THE PIPELINE
Bring the problem.
Build the proof.
Register your interest as a participant, mentor, institution or partner. This form prepares an email to the Creatathon project team; send that email to complete your enquiry.
Supplied 2026 programme prospectus. Final endorsements, funding commitments and programme terms remain subject to organiser confirmation.IGNITE IDEAS.
LAUNCH AFRICA.