Applications are now open for the FemSTEM Africa 2026 Pitch Competition!
The FemSTEM Africa Pitch Competition is the final event of the FemSTEM Africa 2026 series, co-hosted by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST) and Health Innovation Hub (H2i).
This competition brings together emerging healthcare innovators to present their solutions to a panel of industry experts and key opinion leaders. Selected finalists will compete for funding and in-kind support to grow their ventures.
This year, the FemSTEM Africa Pitch Competition will take place on June 2, 2026, in person in Kumasi, Ghana, following the FemSTEM Africa Workshop and Mentor Day at KNUST.
Application Timeline
Applications Open: April 1, 2026
Applications Close: April 15, 2026
Awards
Winner: $15,000 CAD cash prize + $5,000 CAD in-kind legal services
1st Runner-Up: $5,000 CAD cash prize + $5,000 CAD in-kind legal services
2nd Runner-Up: $5,000 CAD cash prize + $5,000 CAD in-kind legal services
Legal services provided by Sustineri Attorneys.
Eligibility
To apply, ventures must meet ALL of the following criteria:
- Operate in the health sector in Africa
- Have at least one woman-identifying co-founder or core team member
- Have a woman-identifying pitch presenter
- Have at least one team member attend a minimum of two FemSTEM Africa events (Kickoff or Fireside sessions, registration can be found on our Events page)
- Not be a previous winner of the FemSTEM Africa Pitch Competition (past finalists can reapply)
We encourage all interested ventures to join the H2i community as client companies to access the wealth of mentorship resources we offer.
Mentorship
Finalists will have access to one-on-one mentorship support in advance of the competition for:
- Business plan development
- Pitch deck development
- Story development
- Effective presentation
- Venture building
About the FemSTEM Africa Series
Participants are encouraged to join the full FemSTEM Africa series:
- Kickoff Event & Panel | March 31, 2026 | 8:00 – 9:30 AM ET / 2:00 – 3:30 PM CAT (Virtual)
- 1st Fireside | April 6, 2026 | 8:00 – 9:00 AM ET / 2:00 – 3:00 PM CAT (Virtual)
- 2nd Fireside | April 22, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET / 7:00 – 8:00 PM CAT (Virtual)
- 3rd Fireside | May 5, 2026 | 8:00 – 9:00 AM ET / 2:00 – 3:00 PM CAT (Virtual)
How to Apply
Submit the application form by April 15, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.
The application includes a Team Composition document, download the template for this document here.
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Questions
Email: Amanda Dlamini amanda.dlamini@utoronto.ca
FemSTEM Africa 2026 is co-designed and implemented by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Health Innovation Hub (H2i) under the Africa Health Collaborative, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, and with legal partnership support from Sustineri Attorneys