Why the actual work begins after the summit

When you attended the African Tech Summit (ATS) 2026 in Nairobi on February 11 and 12, or just felt the thrill by way of your social media feed, you most likely left with that acquainted mixture of exhilaration and “what now?” that follows massive ecosystem moments.

Nairobi, Kenya’s sprawling capital, is studying and bettering at internet hosting such gatherings. Now in its eighth version, ATS  is often held in February, when the Nairobi skies are vibrant, actions are agog, and visitors is a bit brutal. 

Kenya stays one in all Africa’s prime three startup markets by funding, often buying and selling locations with Nigeria and South Africa. When you consider the numbers floating across the flooring, African startups raised north of $2–3 billion in 2025 (relying on who’s counting and the way they classify debt),  nonetheless lower than the 2021 highs, however now not in retreat. 

At ATS 2026, the temper felt steadier, with extra homework for all stakeholders, from regulators to founders and shoppers.

Since its first version, ATS has grown into one of many continent’s extra constant Q1 convenings. Lots of of founders, dozens of funds, corporates, policymakers, and Improvement Finance Establishments (DFIs)— all compressed into two days of panels, sideline conferences, and social media follow-ups that even start earlier than the primary keynote ends.

What survives after ATS 2026?

A extra sober tone

When you’ve got attended ‌ earlier ATS editions,  you’ll be able to really feel the shift (that is my third). The language has modified.

This has been continuously chorused, nevertheless it’s value repeating as a result of it’s a recurring theme in most tech occasions. Just a few years in the past, panel discussions and pitches have been about disruption and scale at any price.  And this was as a result of cash was low-cost. This yr, the phrases you hear most frequently are “profitability,” “money movement,” “regulation/compliance,” and “unit economics.” Founders are searching for sustainable approaches constructed on sturdy self-discipline, even when it means slower progress and now not apologising for it if it means stronger margins. On the flip aspect, traders are asking extra complicated questions and now not pretending that capital is affordable.

That isn’t a nasty factor; it means the market is studying. Africa’s digital infrastructure has improved immensely over the previous decade. Digital transactions quantity to billions of {dollars} yearly, whereas smartphone penetration continues to rise. Broadband is increasing, signalling that the foundations are sturdy. The query, subsequently, is whether or not native founders can construct options that create hundreds of thousands of jobs for the continent’s youthful inhabitants and generate billions in income.

The founder’s take a look at

Nigerian startups and founders have mastered the artwork of constructing relationships, making them a everlasting function in most tech occasions throughout the continent. Tech occasions like ATS are an opportunity to be seen. I do know that visibility will not be the identical as progress, nevertheless it’s step one.

Two days of conferences can simply turn into two weeks of delay if follow-ups are sluggish or imprecise. The distinction between a well mannered investor dialog and a time period sheet is often readability, which means exact numbers, clear dangers, and clear use of funds. That is replicated in conversations with the opposite builders within the ecosystem, together with regulators, journalists, and prospects.

We have to see related vim from founders throughout the continent.

Capital is cautious, not absent

That is one other recurring theme throughout many tech occasions. There’s a tendency to say that cash has dried up. Primarily based on conversations at ATS, that’s not fairly true. Capital remains to be transferring, however extra fastidiously.

At a sideline session on the Nairobi Securities Alternate (NSE), hosted by Enza Capital, audio system reiterated that traders are nonetheless writing cheques. Nonetheless, due diligence is taking longer, and co-investments have gotten extra frequent. Buyers are in search of larger self-discipline, not simply ardour, to construct.

At ATS, you’ll be able to sense that many funds are nonetheless serious about fintech, local weather, and logistics. However the bar is increased. A funds startup now wants greater than progress. A local weather firm wants greater than a robust story about affect. Everyone seems to be serious about paying prospects.

That change in tone will not be distinctive to Africa; it mirrors international markets. However in a continent the place the ecosystem and capital markets are nonetheless younger, the adjustment feels sharper.

The fact

There may be at all times a danger that summits flip into performances. In any case, panels are polished, and the levels are well-lit for excellent pictures. The air-conditioned rooms, exhibition cubicles, and the rooftop backyard simply on the entrance of Sarit Expo Centre have optimism in abundance.  

However the fact is, ecosystems are usually not constructed on applause and standing ovations. Constructing in Africa, like most rising markets, requires consistency and repetition, which might be boring.  

That’s: the repetition of founders who construct once more after failure, the repetition of traders who again the identical market by way of completely different cycles, and the repetition of predictable insurance policies, even when imperfect.

Africa nonetheless produces fewer giant exits than extra developed markets. That limits the recycling of capital and expertise. Till exits turn into routine moderately than uncommon, progress will really feel episodic.

The target measure of ATS 2026 would be the variety of offers closed after preliminary conferences, the partnerships that materialise, and the businesses that flip a revenue or report progress.