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R100,000 Cash Prize Up for Grabs at SWEAT Africa Pitch Competition

Africa’s boldest biotech and hardtech founders will take centre stage this February as SWEAT Africa launches its inaugural Pitch Competition, offering a winner-take-all cash prize of R100,000. The competition forms part of the first SWEAT Africa festival, taking place 13–14 February 2026 at the Bertha Retreat between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

Designed to spotlight high-impact, frontier technologies, the pitch competition will bring together some of the continent’s most promising startups in front of an audience of investors, researchers, founders, and global ecosystem partners. With more than 100 startups and over 50 investors expected at SWEAT Africa this year, the competition underscores the festival’s ambition to position Africa as a serious player in deep-tech innovation and investment.

Finalists will be selected through a mandatory BioTech & HardTech side-event, facilitated by Stellenbosch University LaunchLab in partnership with Stellenbosch Network. Limited to 10 startups to be selected via a rigorous process, this qualifying round offers founders direct exposure to a high-calibre investment and innovation audience. The 3 top startups will advance to the final pitch on Saturday, 14 February (18:30–19:00) on the main stage, where one standout venture will walk away with the full cash prize. Applications for the side-event are open and free to all SWEAT Africa attendees.

Below are the key details:

Final Pitch Competition

  • Date: Saturday, 14 February 2026
  • Time: 18:30 – 19:00
  • Location: Main Tent, Bertha Retreat Centre
  • Prize: R100,000 (winner‑take‑all)

Mandatory Pitch Competition Side Event for Finalists

This side event is the qualifying round for the final main‑stage pitch. It focuses specifically on BioTech and HardTech startups. Special thanks to Launchlab and Stellenbosch Network for facilitating the side event.

Event Details:

 

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