Commentators often stress that Africa lacks the computing capacity, investment capital, and reliable energy needed to compete in the global artificial-intelligence race. Yet the entrepreneurs and investors I met in Lagos this week view the technology as a chance to create new, locally driven businesses rather than a wave that will leave the continent behind. They argue that African founders and engineers can shape AI applications that address regional needs from the outset.
The Askya Growth Platform, a venture-capital-backed program that launched this month, attracted more than 1,300 applications for its first African AI startup cohort. The initiative aims to identify companies that can build the tools and infrastructure needed for AI to function effectively across African markets. After a competitive review, only eleven firms were admitted to the inaugural batch.
Participants are expected to develop the technology and infrastructure that make artificial intelligence useful in local contexts. As Babacar Seck, managing partner of Askya Investment Partners, told Semafor, “Africa cannot be renting AI, we must be making it.” This vision includes creating smaller language models tuned to African dialects and building systems that let governments and businesses retain control over sensitive data while applying AI to sectors such as energy, agriculture and commerce.
Marlon Nichols, managing partner of Los Angeles-based MaC Venture Capital, which has deployed $20 million in early-stage African investments, sees a shift in venture funding toward tangible assets and technologies that are harder for AI to replace. Speaking at Lagos’ Moonshot conference, he said, “VCs are going back to atoms, to more physical things.” He emphasized that the focus is on the technology that powers infrastructure rather than the data centers themselves, suggesting African firms need not build the largest models to capture AI value.
Despite the optimism, funding for AI ventures remains limited across the continent, and the cost of building necessary infrastructure is high. According to Digital Africa, AI-native startups accounted for less than 2 % of the $1.36 billion raised by African startups in the first half of 2026. Seck noted, “There’s almost no capital today for African AI, yet people are building,” underscoring the gap between ambition and available resources.
The emerging cohort of founders is targeting market segments that major technology firms have historically overlooked. Their aim is less about mirroring Silicon Valley’s trajectory and more about establishing an AI ecosystem that serves African economies directly. By focusing on locally relevant models and data-centric solutions, they hope to create value that aligns with regional priorities rather than external expectations.