Innovation has always been at the heart of Africa’s growth story, and Namibia is no exception. From small startups in university labs to ambitious entrepreneurs building solutions for local communities, the country’s emerging innovators are finding ways to tackle real-world challenges while shaping a vibrant tech ecosystem.
Launched in 2021 by CcHUB Namibia and Startup Namibia, Seedr Namibia empowered emerging founders with mentorship, funding, and networks, producing impactful alumni like PEBL. Following this success, Seedr Namibia 2.0: AI Edition kicked off in mid-2025, focusing on AI solutions in education, healthcare, and the creative economy.
Over two weeks, students, researchers, and startups developed innovations with real-world impact, showcasing CcHUB Namibia’s commitment to turning local talent into scalable solutions for Namibia and beyond.
The Journey of Seedr Namibia
In 2021, CcHUB Namibia and Startup Namibia launched the original Seedr Namibia program to empower emerging founders, helping them turn ideas into sustainable businesses and attract funding to scale their operations.
Flagship alumni include Nam Grocery, Kanie Supply & Distribution Chain, and PEBL.
Building on this success, Seedr Namibia 2.0: AI Edition was launched in July 2025, with a renewed focus on artificial intelligence. The program sought to identify, support, and accelerate innovators addressing pressing challenges in education, healthcare, and the creative economy, providing a bridge between research, early-stage startups, and market-ready solutions.
Over the past weeks, students, researchers, and early-stage startups have been hard at work developing AI-powered solutions designed to create meaningful social and economic impact.
Seedr Namibia 2.0 is structured around two tracks, each with a distinct focus but united by a shared goal: to nurture solutions that are both innovative and scalable.
Track A: Students & Researchers Innovation Challenge
In collaboration with the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), this track invited students and early-career researchers to develop AI-driven projects with real-world applications.
Over the course of 5 days, students and researchers participated in a Human Centered Design (HCD) workshop, exploring user research, customer journey mapping, and designing products tailored to potential users’ needs.
The 3 student innovator teams worked on research-based AI solutions, including:
- Disease Diagnostics
- Precision Agriculture
- Chronic Diseases Management System
These innovations emphasized the commercialization potential of research, demonstrating how ideas originating in academic settings can be transformed into products and services that address tangible challenges in society.
Track B: Startups Design Sprint
This track focused on Namibia’s most promising early-stage startups, each working with AI technologies to solve complex problems in education, healthcare, and the creative industries.
Participating startup innovators included:
- Okaluli (Education)
- Irasse Technologies (Education)
- The Just Foundation (Education)
- Minds in Action (Education)
- Black Society Namibia (Creative industries)
- Elimu (Education)
These startups showcased products that were already on a path to market, highlighting their potential to scale locally and internationally.
During the 5-day design sprint, startup founders received business development training, such as Go-To-Market (GTM) planning, Distribution Strategies, Sales and Marketing Design and Pitching to Investors.
The Demo Day: Celebrating Innovation in Action
The culmination of Seedr Namibia 2.0 came on Saturday, 16 August 2025, during the Demo Day, held at CcHUB Namibia.
Nine teams, three student teams and six startups, presented their ideas and ventures to a panel of expert judges from diverse sectors in innovation, who played a pivotal role in selecting the most promising ideas.
The event provided an exciting showcase of the ingenuity, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit that is driving Namibia’s AI ecosystem. After an intense pitching session, Axon AI and Okaluli emerged as the standout innovators.
Axon AI is focused on accelerating laboratory diagnostics using AI, enabling faster and more accurate medical testing.
Okaluli works to expand access to GenAI-powered educational tools for underserved communities, bridging the digital divide for learners without reliable broadband access.
Both teams secured a US$5,000 SAFE investment, while Okaluli also received an additional US$5,000 from the Seed Capital Fund of Namibia.
The winning teams will now enter a 3-month incubation program, where they will receive mentorship, refine their products, and work to achieve product-market fit. This phase will be critical in translating their innovations into solutions that can impact communities and industries across Namibia and beyond.
At the end of this incubation period, they will then be connected to investors in and beyond Namibia to help scale these innovative products across the continent.
A Bright Future for Namibian Innovators
As Namibia’s AI ecosystem continues to grow, Seedr Namibia 2.0 demonstrates that local talent, when nurtured and supported, can create scalable, impactful solutions that contribute to national development and continental progress.
And while the demo day marked a significant milestone, it is far from the last. Seedr Namibia 2.0 is only the beginning. Many more programs and initiatives are planned to ensure Namibian innovators have every opportunity to shape Africa’s future.
CcHUB Namibia remains committed to supporting innovators across the country, providing the tools, networks, and funding needed to turn bold ideas into tangible solutions.
Seedr Namibia reflects our larger mission: accelerating the application of social capital and technology for Africa’s economic prosperity.