NextBillion - A WDI Publication

Overview
A two-day Nairobi summit connecting Africa’s high-potential startups with investors, partners, and ecosystem leaders.

The AfricArena Nairobi Summit 2026 is a two-day conference dedicated to Fintech (Day 1) and Climate Tech (Day 2), connecting 30+ African startups with 100+ investors from across the globe.

Hosted across two of Nairobi’s most distinctive venues: Nairobi Street Kitchen (29 April) and Amani Gardens (30 April), the summit brings together founders between Seed and Series B with VCs, LPs, corporates, and ecosystem builders for keynotes, panel discussions, pitch challenges, and an awards ceremony on each day.

This is the Nairobi stop of the AfricArena 2026 Africa Tour, building momentum toward the annual Grand Summit in Cape Town. Previous editions have drawn 700+ attendees, 60+ speakers, and facilitated over $900 million in impact.

What’s on the programme:

Day 1 (29 April) | Fintech: The state of fintech in Africa, insuretech scaling, stablecoins and cross-border payments, the anatomy of a fintech breakout, and the path to exit.

Day 2 (30 April) | Climate Tech: Capital stacking for climate startups, rethinking the VC model in Africa, carbon markets, Africa’s emerging EV market, and an investor reverse pitch.

Each day features two startup pitch challenge tracks, keynotes from founders and investors building at the frontier, and closes with an awards ceremony.

The week also includes:

Founders’ Venture Retreat (26–27 April): a residential bootcamp at Maasai Lodge for selected startups
Wired Speed Connect (28 April): curated 1:1 LP-GP and GP-startup meetings
3. VC Night (29 April, 6 PM): exclusive networking at Nairobi Street Kitchen for up to 100 curated participants
Confirmed speakers include: Claire van Enk (Farm to Feed), Maxime Bayen (Catalyst Fund / Africa: The Big Deal), Ted Pantone (Turaco), Dario Giuliani (Briter), Agnes Aistleitner (First Circle Capital), Paul Breloff (Shortlist), Florence Githinji (Yellow Card), Diana Maranga (Octavia Carbon), and Toukam Ngoufanke (Persistent Capital).

For updates, follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube @africarena Visit www.africarena.com

Time: 9:00 AM-6:00 PM