Post by Next Africa Initiative

Six African founders. $160,000 in equity-free prizes. A place at the United Nations General Assembly. And three days inside one of Africa's most powerful startup campuses. Meet the JumpShot 2026 Finalists selected from across the continent by the NBPA Foundation, UM6P - University Mohammed VI Polytechnic's STARTGATE and UM6P GLOBAL HUBS - United States and now completing an intensive acceleration sprint at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco. Winnie Wambugu — CEO, Nakuru Tubers (Kenya) Building a digital last-mile agricultural distribution network connecting smallholder farmers to verified inputs, climate-smart seeds, and agronomic support across Africa. Munyasa Hellen — Founder & Managing Director, Helton Traders Limited (Uganda) Transforming plastic bottle waste into affordable polyester sewing threads for the textile industry and creating green jobs for women and youth. Dr. Ada Peter — Professor of Digital Infrastructure & International Security, Ribara Analytica (Nigeria) Building the infrastructure layer that helps African universities prove and improve graduate outcomes. Adeola Ayoola — Co-founder & CEO, Famasi Africa (Nigeria) Building pharmacy infrastructure for emerging markets across Africa. Abiola Metilelu — CEO, PressPayNg (Nigeria) Building financial infrastructure for smarter education payments, credit access, and funding distribution across Africa. Rose Noah, MBA — CEO, West African Feeds ( KemProtein ) (Ghana) Building an innovative circular economy model that reduces waste, lowers environmental impact and provides affordable, nutritious feed solutions for Africa’s growing food system. These six founders are solving problems that matter (agriculture, waste, education, healthcare and financial inclusion). The continent needs 20 million new jobs per year through 2030. Founders like these are how Africa builds them. Congratulations to all Six. Watch this space. Full story 👉 https://lnkd.in/dtjTaHXm #JumpShot2026 #NBPAFoundation #UM6P #StartGate #AfricanEntrepreneurs #NakuruTubers #HeltonTraders #RibaraAnalytica #Famasi #PressPayNg #WinnieWambugu #MunyasaHellen #AdaPeter #AdeolaAyoola #AbiolaMetilelu #AfricaStartups #PanAfrica #EquityFree #AfricanFounders