While much of the global tech conversation is currently dominated by Generative AI chatbots and Large Language Models, the real “ground zero” for practical, survival-based innovation remains in hardware deployment across emerging markets.
That reality was front and centre this week as Qualcomm wrapped up its 2025 “Make in Africa” (QMIA) mentorship programme. Now in its third year, the initiative—which filters through hundreds of applicants to find startups leveraging 5G, AI, and IoT—has crowned its 2025 winner: Farmer Lifeline.
Based in Kenya, Farmer Lifeline isn’t building a SaaS platform or a fintech wallet. They are building sentries. The startup deploys small, solar-powered devices directly into agricultural fields. These devices actively scan crops for pests and diseases, using machine learning to identify threats before they decimate a harvest. When a threat is detected, an alert is beamed directly to the farmer’s phone.
It is a classic example of “Edge AI”—processing data locally on a device rather than sending it all to the cloud—which fits perfectly into Qualcomm’s hardware-centric worldview. As the winner of the Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund, Farmer Lifeline secures undisclosed funding and technical backing to scale the technology.
The Hardware Heavyweights
What stands out about the 2025 cohort (selected from over 400 applicants across 19 countries) is the shift away from purely software-based solutions toward “hard tech”—tangible devices interacting with the physical world.
Of the ten finalists, nearly all are deploying sensors, robotics, or specialised hardware. This makes sense given the backer; Qualcomm is, at its heart, a chip and connectivity company. They aren’t looking for the next Instagram; they are looking for use cases that push the limits of connectivity and battery efficiency in rugged environments.
The startups were drawn from five countries: Kenya, Tunisia, Nigeria, Benin, and Senegal. Here is how the rest of the 2025 class breaks down by sector:
The Agritech & Climate Block Aside from the winner, agriculture dominated the list. This isn’t surprising given food security is a primary driver of African innovation, but the methods are getting more sophisticated.
- Archeos (Benin): Think of this as a smart home system, but for fish. They use solar-powered sensors to automate monitoring of water quality and feeding levels in aquaculture.
- Ecobees (Tunisia) & Pollen Patrollers (Kenya): Two separate startups focused on the same niche: saving bees. Both use IoT (Internet of Things) sensors to monitor hive health. Pollen Patrollers, a women-led outfit, uses AI to track colony stats, while Ecobees adds a digital platform for real-time insights.
- Solar Freeze (Kenya): Solving the post-harvest loss problem. They provide solar-powered cold rooms with remote monitoring, allowing farmers to store produce without grid electricity.
- ClimatrixAI (Nigeria): Moving from farms to cities, they install connected weather stations to provide hyper-local, street-by-street flood risks and disaster warnings.
Health & Biology
- Edulytics (Senegal): One of the most technically ambitious projects. They are applying AI to handheld ultrasound devices specifically to screen for liver disease, attempting to democratise complex diagnostics.
- Aframend (Nigeria): Using AI to trawl through data on African medicinal plants to discover new drugs—essentially digitising traditional knowledge for modern pharma.
- AmalXR (Tunisia): A VR application for physical rehabilitation, allowing clinicians to track patient movement and progress remotely.
Mobility
- Pixii Motors (Tunisia): Addressing the battery anxiety of EVs. They are designing electric scooters with a swappable battery network.
The “Moat” Strategy
One of the nuances of the QMIA programme is its focus on Intellectual Property (IP). Unlike typical accelerators that focus heavily on pitch decks and user acquisition, Qualcomm’s mentorship—which includes their L2Pro Africa training—heavily emphasises patent protection.
For African founders, IP is often an afterthought compared to survival. However, by teaching these startups how to patent their hardware and algorithms, Qualcomm is essentially helping them build a “moat” around their business. This is strategic: Qualcomm’s own business model relies heavily on licensing patents. By evangelising this model, they are creating a generation of African hardware companies that value (and protect) their engineering.
What’s Next?
The programme is equity-free, meaning Qualcomm takes no ownership stake in these companies, a rarity in the accelerator space. While the 2025 cycle has closed, the company has confirmed the programme will return for a fourth year.
Applications for the 2026 Qualcomm Make in Africa cohort are already open on the Qualcomm website.
