Namibian startup Amperra Charging Company has been selected among 10 startups for the 2026 edition of Qualcomm’s Make in Africa Mentorship Programme, highlighting the country’s growing presence in Africa’s emerging electric mobility and clean technology ecosystem.
Amperra is developing an AI-driven, grid-adaptive electric vehicle (EV) charging platform designed to optimise energy usage and support scalable EV infrastructure across African markets, where grid reliability and energy efficiency remain key constraints.
The selection places the Namibian firm within a cohort of startups leveraging advanced technologies such as edge AI and 5G to address real-world challenges across sectors including mobility, agriculture, healthcare and smart infrastructure.
The Qualcomm Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Programme is an equity-free, mentorship-driven initiative designed for early-stage African startups, with a focus on hardware and deep-tech solutions. It provides mentorship, engineering consultation and intellectual property guidance to help firms leverage 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.
Speaking at the announcement in Johannesburg, Wassim Chourbaji, President for the Middle East and Africa at Qualcomm, said the programme continues to attract increasingly sophisticated solutions from across the continent.
“Four years into Qualcomm Make in Africa, what stands out is not only the growing number of applications we receive, but the increasing sophistication of the solutions being built. These startups are pushing the boundaries of what technologies such as edge AI and 5G can enable,” he said.
The programme provides selected startups with access to technical and commercial support, including product development guidance using Arduino AI platforms, engineering consultation and intellectual property training through L2Pro Africa.
Fabio Violante, Vice President and General Manager of Arduino at Qualcomm Technologies Inc., said the latest hardware platforms are designed to accelerate the deployment of intelligent systems.
“By integrating perception, decision-making and actuation into a single, accessible platform, founders can rapidly prototype and deploy edge AI solutions directly in environments such as farms, clinics, factories and urban infrastructure,” he said.
The African Telecommunications Union (ATU) has returned as a programme partner for a fourth consecutive year, underscoring its relevance to regional digital and innovation policy.
ATU Secretary General John Omo said the initiative plays a key role in advancing locally driven innovation.
“Qualcomm Make in Africa places advanced technology tools in the hands of African innovators to solve African challenges, strengthening the continent’s digital capabilities,” he said.
The 2026 programme attracted more than 1,200 applications from 45 African countries, with selected startups working across sectors including electric mobility, smart infrastructure, assistive technologies and education.
Each startup will receive a US$5,000 grant upon completion of the programme, alongside access to patent support and potential funding opportunities through Qualcomm’s Social Impact Fund.
