Join us for an inspiring evening of innovation, collaboration and global impact as we celebrate the close of the inaugural Commonwealth Startup Fellowship—a pioneering programme empowering entrepreneurs from Commonwealth Countries to scale local solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.
Delivered by Imperial Enterprise Lab and Imperial Global Ghana, in partnership with the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, this unique fellowship is supporting job creation through bold, visionary founders tackling issues in health, agriculture, education, energy and more.
Part 1: Investor Showcase | 16.00–17.30 BST
Hear pitches from 19 pre-seed and seed-stage startups from Africa and India shaping the future across:
AgriTech, Clean Energy and Circular Economy
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From waste-to-feed solutions to off-grid solar, these ventures are innovating in regenerative agriculture, climate resilience, and renewable energy access.
HealthTech, Fintech and Social Infrastructure
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Discover innovations in myoelectric prosthetics, AI-powered diagnostics, affordable transport, and inclusive finance.
Participating startups can be viewed here.
Why attend?
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Engage with high-potential, globally scalable ventures
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Access a vetted pipeline of startups from underserved markets
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Connect with peer investors, UK-based funders, and development stakeholders
Part 2: Capstone Celebration | 18.00–20.00 BST
Introduced by the President of Imperial, Professor Hugh Brady, and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commissioner, Professor Kevin Ibeh, you will also hear directly from the founders as they showcase the ventures they have grown through the programme.
Discover how initiatives like this can unlock talent, drive inclusive growth, and transform communities across the Commonwealth.
Keynote address
‘Unleashing Potential: Building Businesses that Shape Nations’
Delivered by Babatunde Soyoye, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Helios Investment Partners. A Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council member and Imperial alumnus, Mr. Soyoye brings decades of insight into how strategic investment and entrepreneurship can reshape economies.
Driving Sustainable Impact: Startup Experiences from LMIC Entrepreneurs
A dynamic panel featuring entrepreneurs from Kenya, Nigeria and India sharing real-world insights on building impactful startups in LMICs, including how they’ve navigated challenges, seized opportunities, and how the Commonwealth Startup Fellowship has given them a springboard to success.
Meet the panellists
- Chair: Dr Elena Dieckmann, Academic Co-Director of Imperial Global India and Lecturer in the Dyson School of Design Engineering
- Maryanne Gichanga from Kenya, founder of Agritech Analytics which detects crop pests and diseases using AI
- Nishant Agarwal from India, founder of lifeandlimb.ai which develops affordable, accessible, and aspirational high-performance prostheses to restore mobility and independence for amputees
- Dr Taiwo Oyewole from Nigeria, founder of Radease which aims to improve pharma supply chains
- Nyifamu Ogechi Manzo from Nigeria, founder of Farmatrix, which leverages technology to connect smallholder farmers to markets, finance, logistics, and storage solutions
The event will showcase what is possible when innovation meets opportunity—and how the Commonwealth Startup Fellowship is building a more equitable, enterprising future.