A concentration of Africa-relevant programs close between October 25 and 31. This week’s lineup spans B2B pitching in Kenya, deep-tech and youth awards, grant calls for cross-border work, and Tunisia-focused acceleration and financing. Founders can target equity-free prizes, cash grants, sponsored exposure, incubation and investment-readiness support. Deadlines are tight.
L59 Pitch Competition in Kenya 2025
Latitude59 is hosting the L59 Pitch Competition in Nairobi for African early-stage B2B startups. Eligible teams must be fundraising, have an MVP, demonstrate revenue or traction, and have a core team based in Africa. The winner receives a sponsored trip and fast-track to pitch at Latitude59 in Tallinn at the 2026 edition, offering valuable exposure to global investors and partners. The event is sector agnostic but focuses on B2B solutions, with participation open to startups from all African countries. Applications close on October 25, 2025, and the competition forms part of Latitude59’s broader mission to connect high-potential founders with international networks.
SWIT Accelerator for Research-Driven Innovators
SWIT’s seven-month accelerator supports Nigerian, research-driven deep-tech ventures moving from lab to market. The program provides structured commercialization support to validate pilots, win early customers, and attract investors across domains including deep tech, healthtech, agritech, energy, climate tech, materials, AI/ML and manufacturing. Selected startups can compete for up to $50,000 in equity investment through Odu’a Investment Company. Target stages span proof-of-concept, pre-seed and seed, with Nigeria as the focus region. Applications close on October 25, 2025. SWIT (Southwest Innovation & Technology Co. Ltd.) runs the program, with additional information available via the accelerator website for timelines and requirements
Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge
Hello Tomorrow runs a global competition for early-stage deep-tech startups with an equity-free grand prize of 100,000 euros. The Challenge spans 14 tracks covering AI and computing, industry 4.0, health and biotech, climate and environment, energy and infrastructure, mobility and aerospace, and food and agriculture. It is open to pre-seed, seed and Series A teams, including those in very early commercialization phases, with global participation encouraged across all African countries. Finalists get the chance to pitch at the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit in Paris to investors and corporates. The application deadline listed is October 30, 2025.
Massar 1.0
Wiki Start Up’s Massar program targets Tunisian startups with financing and tailored support delivered with public and private partners. The snapshot lists BFPME as lead, in partnership with the Ministries of Finance and of Employment & Vocational Training, UGFS North Africa and Wiki Start Up. Focus sectors include biotech, agritech, green tech, fintech and health tech. Support covers a staged selection process, an intensive bootcamp, pitch day, and post-pitch follow-up to finalize documents and coordinate with stakeholders. Financing of up to TND 200,000 is interest-free for up to 8 years, with a maximum 3-year grace period. Applications close on October 31, 2025.
216 Capital Venture Accelerator by Plug and Play
216 Capital, in partnership with Plug and Play, offers a six-month accelerator focused on preparing Tunisian pre-seed tech startups for investment readiness. The program combines tailored mentorship, hands-on workshops and access to Plug and Play’s international ecosystem. Selected companies receive a 50,000-euro investment and structured support to refine business models and accelerate growth. It is sector-agnostic with an emphasis on technology-enabled startups in Tunisia. The listing cites October 31, 2025 as the application deadline and positions the accelerator as a route to capital plus global connections for founders at the earliest stages.
WSA Young Innovators Award 2025
The World Summit Awards call targets digital solutions advancing the UN SDGs from teams under age 26. Eligible applicants include entrepreneurs, companies, student groups and project teams from UN and UNESCO member states, with submissions free of charge. Solutions must be operational and demonstrate local impact; prototypes and drafts are not eligible. Formats include apps, websites, wearable applications, mobile games, SMS-based services and other interactive digital products. The process involves an international jury and results in 40 winners across categories, with presentation opportunities at the WSA Global Congress.
Call for Solutions: Cross Border Jobs Startup Competition
Jobtech Alliance invites Africa-based digital startups enabling safe, fair and efficient cross-border employment to apply for grants and mentorship. Focus areas include HRTech platforms, fintech for remittances and payroll, edtech for language and vocational training, regulatory tech for compliance and worker protection, and proptech addressing housing for mobile workers. The competition offers up to 10,000 US dollars in grant funding, expert mentorship, visibility and networking via the Jobtech Alliance community. Applications are open to startups from all African countries, with the deadline stated as October 31, 2025.
Zenith Bank Zecathon 5.0
Zenith Bank Plc runs a pan-African startup pitch competition offering a total prize pool of 70 million naira, with up to 30 million naira for the overall winner. Shortlisted teams also enter a six-week incubation featuring mentorship from industry experts and investor exposure. Target sectors include fintech, insurtech, edtech, e-commerce and retailtech, cybersecurity, agritech, healthtech, logistics and mobility, FMCG and climate tech. The program targets pre-seed and seed startups across all African countries. Applications close on October 31, 2025, with details and submissions available via the official program page.
These deadlines cluster at month-end, with options ranging from equity-free awards and grants to investment-backed acceleration and international exposure. Shortlist the most relevant fits quickly, confirm terms on program sites, and submit before applications close.