Africa Tech Summit London returns to the London Stock Exchange on May 29th, 2026, simultaneously celebrating a decade of convening Africa’s most influential tech leaders, global investors, regulators, and innovators, while charting the next era of growth for the continent’s digital economy.
The 2026 London edition is expected to convene 350+ investors, founders, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to explore the technologies, trends, and opportunities shaping Africa’s next decade from fintech and AI to climate innovation, venture growth, and digital infrastructure.
“When the Africa Tech Summit was born in 2016, the ecosystem looked very different. Many ventures were purely focused on securing funding, formal VC activity was still emerging, and most startups were simply surviving round to round,” said Andrew Fassnidge, Managing Director, Africa Tech Summit. “The past decade has also brought some tough shakeouts and painful losses, yet through that volatility, we’ve seen a remarkable evolution. African tech ventures are scaling across borders, driving trade, and we have also seen a growing number of mergers and exits as the ecosystem enters its next phase of maturity.”
“Investment remains a critical part of this journey, and the Investment Showcase plays a key role in connecting high‑growth ventures with the capital, strategic partners, and market access needed to accelerate international expansion.”
According to the 2025 Partech Africa Tech Venture Capital Report, African tech startups raised US$4.1 billion in 2025 (+25% YoY), up from US$3.25 billion in 2024 —marking the ecosystem’s strongest year since 2022. This growth reflects a maturing sector with renewed investor confidence, driven significantly by debt financing (US$1.6 billion, +63% YoY).
While fintech continues to attract the largest share of equity investment, its dominance is gradually giving way to rising activity in cleantech, healthtech, enterprise solutions, and other emerging sectors. Ventures across these verticals, including fintech, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), payments, agritech, cybersecurity, and Web3, are invited to apply for the investment showcase before April 22nd, to pitch to investors and global partners on May 29th.
As competition for high‑quality ventures intensifies, investors are increasingly prioritising value beyond capital. Access to networks, regulatory guidance, and data‑driven growth strategies are becoming critical differentiators.
At the Africa Tech Summit London Investment Showcase, selected ventures will present their solutions to investors who offer not only capital but also the strategic networks and expertise required to scale and navigate complex markets. With AI accelerating innovation and a more experienced generation of entrepreneurs emerging, Africa’s venture ecosystem is positioned for sustained long‑term growth.
Over the past ten years, Africa Tech Summit has grown from a single event to hosting editions in various locations across Africa, Europe, North America, and Asia, connecting more than 30,000 delegates from over 80 countries and driving investment and partnerships across the African tech ecosystem.
“When the Africa Tech Summit was born in 2016, the ecosystem looked very different. Many ventures were purely focused on securing funding, formal VC activity was still emerging, and most startups were surviving round to round,” said Andrew Fassnidge, Managing Director, Africa Tech Summit. “The past decade has also brought some tough shakeouts and painful losses, yet through that volatility, we’ve seen a remarkable evolution —African tech ventures are scaling across borders, driving trade, and we have also seen a growing number of mergers and exits as the ecosystem enters its next phase of maturity,” he added.
The 2026 edition will feature keynotes, panels, fireside chats, masterclasses, and curated sessions across fintech, AI, IPOs, climate tech, digital infrastructure, investment, and cross‑border trade, offering fresh insights and new opportunities for collaboration. Attendees will hear from leading African tech ventures, investors, and industry experts while engaging with partners shaping the continent’s next decade of innovation and growth.
