ALX Ventures champions transformative African startups as NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator 2025

3h ago | Source: connectmedia.co.za

NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi awards Youssef MAAROUFI from Reborn first place in the NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator Challenge

Reborn (Morocco), Fitclan (Egypt), Athlon Technology (Egypt), Atsur (Nigeria) and Songdis (Nigeria) win top prizes, including financial support and opportunity to join Carnegie Mellon University Africa’s Business Incubation Program
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ALX Ventures proudly celebrates the winners of the 2025 NBA Africa Triple Double Accelerator, closing a transformative accelerator cycle that equipped emerging African entrepreneurs with the tools, networks, and strategic clarity required to scale across the continent and beyond.
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?Winning startups claimed more than $50,000 in prizes after a three-month journey that transformed ten finalists into investment-ready founders and strengthened a growing pipeline of innovators reshaping Africa's creative and sports technology landscape.

Selected from more than 700 applications across 32 countries representing Africa’s surging entrepreneurial ambition, the ten finalists from five African countries completed an intensive world class acceleration journey powered by ALX Ventures, featuring global mentors and experts in entrepreneurship, sports innovation, and creative industries.

The program, in partnership with NBA Africa, ServiceNow, OpenAI, and Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa), culminated in a live Demo Day hosted at CMU-Africa in Kigali, Rwanda on 5 December where they pitched their products to a panel of international industry leaders. The event provided visibility and opened pathways for follow-up investment conversations, strategic partnerships, and continued ecosystem support.

Now in its second year, the accelerator is designed to build a connected pipeline of bold African innovators by equipping them with the skills, networks, and resources to scale transformative ventures capable of shaping Africa’s future and competing on the global stage. With program alumni securing capital, hiring talent, entering new markets, and mentoring the next wave of emerging entrepreneurs, the initiative is driving a measurable ripple effect and creating a self-reinforcing cycle of innovation, opportunity, and economic empowerment across the continent.

Along with cash prizes, the top five finalists are offered the opportunity to join Carnegie Mellon University Africa’s (CMU-Africa) 12-month Business Incubation Program as part of its Innovation Hub, which helps African tech startups transform proof-of-concept prototypes and preliminary market assessments into scalable, market-ready products and services (valued at up to $70,000). The top three companies also each received $10,000 in Application Programming Interface (API) credits and an immersion day with the OpenAI engineering team at OpenAI’s headquarters.

The standout startups selected for this year's top prizes are:

1^st place: Reborn (https://RebornSportsTech.com) (Morocco), which offers comprehensive performance indicators that give athletes deep insights into their physical condition and on-field performance, essential for identifying strengths, areas for improvement, and optimizing overall performance, was awarded $25,000 in cash, the opportunity to join CMU-Africa’s Business Incubation Program, $10,000 in API credits, and an exclusive immersion day with the OpenAI engineering team at OpenAI’s headquarters.
2^nd place: Fitclan (https://Fitclan.co) (Egypt), a digital fitness hub that leverages a flexible subscription model for individuals and corporate clients, was awarded $15,000 in cash, the opportunity to join CMU-Africa’s Business Incubation Program, $10,000 in API credits, and an exclusive immersion day with the OpenAI engineering team at OpenAI’s headquarters.
3^rd place: Athlon Technology (https://AthlonTechnology.com) (Egypt), which aims to leverage accessible mobile technology and AI to provide video analysis for amateur and budget-constrained sports teams while addressing a market gap with a user-friendly, hardware-light solution, was awarded $5,000 in cash, the opportunity to join CMU-Africa’s Business Incubation Program, $10,000 in API credits, and an exclusive immersion day with the OpenAI engineering team at OpenAI’s headquarters.
4^th place: Atsur (www.Atsur.art) (Nigeria), which leverages blockchain technology to promote investment in African art and support artists and art communities, was awarded $2,500 in cash and the opportunity to join CMU-Africa’s Business Incubation Program.
5^th place: Songdis (www.Songdis.com) (Nigeria), which provides comprehensive digital distribution and services tailored for African independent artists and labels, was awarded $2,500 in cash and the opportunity to join CMU-Africa’s Business Incubation Program.

“This year’s cohort reflects the determination, creativity, and global competitiveness of Africa’s next generation of builders,” said Fred Swaniker, Founder and CEO of ALX. “Through the accelerator, the entrepreneurs identified new opportunities for expansion and built the confidence, clarity, and community required to scale. The impact goes far beyond the finalists. The hundreds of applicants represent a movement of entrepreneurs who are reshaping Africa’s economic future. When founders succeed, they hire, they inspire, and they strengthen the ecosystem. This is how sustainable entrepreneurial growth is built across the continent.”

“We continue to be amazed by the creative, talented and passionate entrepreneurs who participate in NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator,” said NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi. “The 10 finalists and five prize-winning companies differentiated themselves through their bold and innovative solutions that are shaping the future of sport and entertainment in Africa. ? The support they receive from this program will help them scale their products and make a lasting impact on the continent and globally.”

The Demo Day brought together program partners, government leaders, and local and international industry stakeholders, as they gathered to witness the brilliance of the finalists pitching their bold, high-potential ventures, all united in the belief that Africa’s creative, tech, and sports innovation sectors are powerful engines for sustainable economic growth.

Speaking at the event, Honourable Rwego Ngarambe: Minister of State for Sports in Rwanda, emphasised the importance of investing in ecosystems that “help talented people make it happen for themselves.” ? Honourable Paula Ingabire: Minister of ICT ? & Innovation, Government of Rwanda, highlighted the growing intersection of technology and sport in shaping new economic opportunities, noting that “sports is no longer what happens on the court; it is how we are integrating technology to make sure it is an immersive experience that fuels Africa’s innovation economy."

This year’s edition of the NBA Africa Triple Double Accelerator once again demonstrates Africa’s entrepreneurial ingenuity and the transformative potential of its young innovators. Born from a shared commitment to propelling African entrepreneurs toward tangible growth, expanded market reach, and meaningful contributions to the continent’s creative and sports technology sectors, the program will no doubt continue to fuel a movement of innovators whose ventures create jobs, drive economic growth, and shape Africa’s future on a global stage.

(Left to right) OpenAI Africa Lead Emmanuel Lubanzadio, ALX Ventures Africa Lead Nour Abdelghaffar, ServiceNow Head of Strategy & Operations Nikki van Gasse, Carnegie Mellon University Africa Director Dr. Conrad Tucker, NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi, ServiceNow Africa Vice President & Managing Director Cheick Camara, and NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator winners Adaobi Orajaiku (Atsur), Melody Nehemiah (Songdis), Hani Youssef Hafez (Athlon Technology), Omar El Gebali (Fitclan) and Youssef Maaroufi (Reborn) (Credit: NBA Africa)
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