Empowering African Innovation

Deep Learning Indaba 2026 Ideathon

Join us in Lagos for a transformative experience where ideas meet action. Our Ideathon is designed to foster groundbreaking collaborations across Africa, leveraging machine learning to address pressing challenges.

About the Ideathon

The Deep Learning Indaba 2026 Ideathon is a pivotal initiative aimed at uniting innovators from across Africa to collaborate on impactful projects. Our mission is to create a platform where diverse minds come together to explore and develop machine learning solutions that can drive change across the continent. By facilitating cross-border research and application-oriented collaborations, we strive to empower the next generation of African leaders in technology and innovation.

Eligibility Criteria

How to Participate

To be eligible for the Ideathon, teams must include at least one member based in Africa and propose a project with a strong machine learning component. We encourage teams to express their interest in mentorship by detailing how they plan to leverage this support to enhance their project. All submissions must be formalized by August 16, 2026, AOE. Join us to network, learn from past winners, and refine your ideas with expert guidance.

What to expect

The Ideathon Timeline

Before the Indaba:

Register Your Interest: If you are not attending the Indaba and wish to participate, submit your initial interest via the registration form.
Join the Ideathon chat thread: If you are attending the Indaba, please join the Ideathon channel when you join the Indaba Baobab space.
Find Collaborators: Use the Indaba’s community channels to meet potential collaborators, share your project proposal, or find existing teams to join.

During the Indaba:

Learn from Alumni: Hear insights and experiences from previous Ideathon winners.
Networking Sessions: Attend dedicated sessions to meet potential collaborators and refine your idea and team structure.
In-Person Mentorship: Receive guidance from on-site mentors to evaluate risks, project feasibility, and alignment.

After the Indaba:

Post Indaba, the process continuous in the following phases:

- Mentorship Selection: Following the initial application review, we aim to match approximately 10 teams with dedicated post-Indaba mentors.
- Pitch Preparation (Weeks 2–4): Selected teams will prepare a video presentation of their project.
- Video Submission (Week 4): Teams submit their finalized video pitches for judging.
- Live Q&A & Winner Announcement (~Week 6): A selected number of finalist teams will be invited to a live Q&A session with the judges, after which the winners will be announced.

The Indaba Ideathon Prizes

Prizes for the 5th edition have been restructured to focus on the development and realization of your project. Awards will be geared toward providing practical support, resources, and opportunities to help teams progress beyond the competition phase.

Support Us

Roles and Commitments for Supporters

We are looking for dedicated volunteers to support the cohort. You can apply for one or more of the following roles:

Reviewer:

Responsibilities: Provide quick-turnaround feedback on initial project applications during the Indaba week.
Commitment: Active during the Indaba week (dates to be confirmed).
Location: Remote. Attendance at the Indaba in Lagos is not required.
Registration will open soon

Mentor (At the Indaba):

Responsibilities: Meet with teams in person to challenge their ideas, evaluate potential implementation risks, and help refine their proposals.
Commitment: A few hours during the Indaba week.
Location: In-person attendance at the Indaba in Lagos is required.

Mentor (After the Indaba):

Responsibilities: Provide detailed feedback on the "what, why, and how" of the selected projects, helping teams prepare and polish their final video presentations. With the extended development timeline, mentors are encouraged to challenge teams to meet a high standard of quality.
Commitment: A few hours spread across weeks 2 to 4 after the Indaba.
Location: Remote. Mentors do not need to be Indaba attendees.

Judge: