AI Demo Day: Uganda’s Next Wave of AI Startups Takes the Stage

Editor Corporate NewsUpdated 3 days Ago2 Mins read55

AI Innovation Academy Demo Day

On Friday, 13 March 2026, the School of Public Health Conference Hall at Makerere University will host the AI Innovation Academy Demo Day, a high-energy showcase of Uganda’s most promising early-stage Artificial Intelligence startups. Investors, policymakers, researchers, development partners, and industry leaders will gather to see how young innovators are turning bold AI ideas into market-ready ventures.

Gracing the event as Chief Guest shall be Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza, the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovations in the Office of the President.

A launchpad for AI founders

The Demo Day is the culmination of the AI Innovation Academy Bootcamp, a four-month intensive programme that blends hands-on AI/ML technical training with structured business incubation and investor-readiness support. Participants include university students, early-career professionals, and startup founders who have been rigorously selected and mentored to build scalable AI solutions.

Under Pathogen Economy Labs (PEL), the programme places particular emphasis on AI for Health (AI4H), from AI-driven disease screening platforms to building an AI in Healthcare Research and Innovation Hub. The Academy also focuses on building a national AI incubation and commercialisation pipeline, strengthening research infrastructure and compute capacity, supporting intellectual property registration, and positioning Uganda as a competitive hub for AI innovation in Africa.

Who is behind AI Demo Day?

The AI Innovation Academy Demo Day is part of the AI4H – AI/ML Innovation Academy Bootcamp implemented by Pathogen Economy Labs and funded by the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretariat. Strategic partners include Makerere University, the Makerere University Centre for Artificial Intelligence (Mak-AI), Marconi Lab, Makerere Innovation and Incubation Center (MIIC), and the Research and Education Network for Uganda (RENU). Together, these institutions are investing in digital infrastructure, technical mentorship, incubation, and commercialisation pathways to strengthen Uganda’s AI innovation ecosystem.

What attendees will experience

Throughout the day, founders will pitch their AI-powered solutions live to an audience of investors, ecosystem partners, and decision-makers. They will demonstrate functional Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), share validated business models, and outline go-to-market strategies designed for real-world scale.

Solutions on show will cut across several high-impact sectors:

Health and disease screening
Agriculture and food security
Education
Legal technology
Retail and supply chain systems

Top-performing teams will receive seed capital to further develop, test, and commercialise their solutions, accelerating their journey from prototype to viable enterprise.

Why AI Demo Day matters

AI Demo Day is more than a showcase; it is a national milestone in building Uganda’s next generation of AI talent and ventures. By bringing together academia, research institutions, incubation centres, digital infrastructure partners, and funders, the initiative creates a powerful pipeline for translating cutting-edge research into investable, high-impact startups.

For investors and ecosystem leaders, the event is a rare opportunity to spot early-stage AI startups, forge partnerships, and shape the future of AI-driven innovation in Uganda and the region. For innovators, it is a platform to gain visibility, secure capital, and connect with mentors who can help them scale.

Event details