Tanzanian innovators urged to target African markets

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIAN entrepreneurs developing solutions in blockchain, artificial intelligence, fintech and other emerging technologies have been urged to look beyond the domestic market and connect with investors through the newly launched Africa Blockchain Festival (ABF) Fellowship Programme 2026.

The fellowship will form part of Africa Blockchain Festival 2026, scheduled for October 15–17 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together technology founders, investors, policymakers, financial institutions and business leaders from across Africa.

The opportunity comes at an important time for Tanzania’s growing innovation ecosystem, following Innovation Week Tanzania 2026, held from August 31 to September 4 in Dar es Salaam.

Held under the theme, “From Aspirations to Transformation: Innovating Tanzania’s Path to Inclusive Prosperity,” the event brought together innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers and private sector leaders to explore ways of transforming ideas into commercially viable businesses.

The discussions were aligned with Tanzania’s Development Vision 2050 and its ambition to build a competitive, technology-driven economy.

One of the key messages from Innovation Week was that Tanzania does not lack innovative ideas, but faces challenges in transforming them into businesses, products, jobs and sustainable economic opportunities.

Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) Director General Dr Amos Nungu said stronger systems were needed to move innovations from conception and prototypes into commercial production.

Discussions also focused on connecting research, technology, intellectual property and promising innovations with investors, a challenge the ABF Fellowship seeks to address at regional level.

Selected founders will have an opportunity to showcase and pitch their solutions at the festival to investors, technology executives, entrepreneurs, policymakers, financial institutions and potential commercial partners.

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Antler has been named the official venture partner of Africa Blockchain Festival 2026, with responsibilities including startup vetting, participation in the jury for the fellowship pitch competition and delivery of a technical startup workshop.

Launch Africa Ventures will also support the initiative by vetting startups and participating in judging the pitch competition.

The involvement of the venture capital firms will expose founders to professionals experienced in evaluating early-stage companies, while helping entrepreneurs understand the expectations that shape investment decisions.

Applications are open to entrepreneurs across East Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, as well as founders from West and Southern Africa.

Potential participants include businesses working on blockchain infrastructure, digital payments, artificial intelligence, digital identity, cybersecurity, stablecoin infrastructure, tokenisation and other emerging technologies.

The opportunity comes as Tanzania increasingly explores how technology can support financial inclusion, trade, productivity, entrepreneurship and the wider digital economy.

The Bank of Tanzania has established a FinTech Regulatory Sandbox, providing a controlled environment for eligible fintech companies and financial service providers to test innovative products and services that are not fully covered by existing regulations.

For blockchain innovators, such developments provide room to explore practical applications beyond cryptocurrency, including payments, cross-border commerce, supply-chain traceability, digital identity, record keeping, financial services and tokenisation.

ABF Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Olubunmi Fabanwo said the fellowship was designed to give young African technology entrepreneurs greater exposure, guidance and access to investment networks.

“A young person in Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Kigali, Accra or Dar es Salaam can build a solution today that potentially reaches millions of people,” he said, adding that founders needed exposure and networks to turn ideas into sustainable companies.

Mr Fabanwo said the festival aimed to connect entrepreneurs with people capable of challenging their thinking, understanding their businesses and opening doors to the next stage of their growth.

He said Africa should not only consume technologies developed elsewhere but also produce intellectual property, companies and platforms capable of competing regionally and globally.

For Tanzanian entrepreneurs, the fellowship provides an opportunity to connect the country’s domestic innovation agenda with the wider African investment ecosystem.

With Innovation Week recently concluded and greater emphasis being placed on private sector-led innovation under Vision 2050, the challenge remains how to turn more Tanzanian ideas into companies capable of creating jobs, attracting investment and competing beyond the country’s borders.

The ABF Fellowship Programme provides another platform for founders to pursue that ambition.