TechMoran, a pioneer African technology and startup media company, has launched the StartupEast Conference & Awards, a new platform designed to discover, showcase and connect the next generation of startups building across East Africa.
The launch comes with a regional call for startup nominations, inviting founders, investors, customers, corporations, ecosystem organisations and members of the wider technology community to nominate promising startups that deserve greater visibility and access to opportunity.
The inaugural StartupEast Conference & Awards 2026 will take place on December 3, 2026, in Nairobi, bringing together early-stage founders, investors, technology companies, corporate leaders and ecosystem partners from across the region.
TechMoran is seeking nominations for early-stage startups building innovative products, solving meaningful problems and demonstrating the potential to scale.
Eligible startups must be based in or operating across East Africa, have raised less than $2 million, and be less than eight years old. The nationality of the founders does not determine eligibility.
StartupEast is particularly interested in companies with prototypes, minimum viable products, early customers or initial market traction.
Nominations are open across sectors including artificial intelligence, fintech, health technology, agritech, climate technology, enterprise software, commerce, logistics, mobility and education, among others.
Founders can nominate their own companies, while investors, customers, corporate leaders, ecosystem organisations and members of the wider technology community can nominate startups they believe should be discovered.
“StartupEast is about finding the founders and companies that are still early enough to surprise the market,” said Sam Wakoba, Co-Founder of TechMoran.
“There are founders across East Africa building real businesses, solving difficult problems and winning their first customers without necessarily having the visibility that comes with a major funding round. We want to find them early and connect them to the people and opportunities that can help them grow.”
The StartupEast Conference & Awards is being developed as more than a one-day awards event. It is intended to become a broader platform for startup discovery, networking, visibility and opportunity across East Africa.
Ahead of the flagship conference, StartupEast will host monthly #TechNights, bringing founders, investors, technology leaders and ecosystem partners together for conversations, networking and deal-making.
The events will provide an ongoing platform for identifying emerging startups, exchanging ideas and building relationships leading up to and beyond the December conference.
“We are deliberately looking beyond the pitch deck,” Wakoba said. “We want to understand the founder, the problem they are solving, the strength of the product, early traction, the size of the opportunity and whether the business has the potential to scale.”
Following the nomination period, startups will undergo an evaluation and shortlisting process. Selected finalists will progress to public voting and will be recognised at the StartupEast Conference & Awards.
For StartupEast, recognition is only one part of the proposition. The platform is built on the idea that recognition is most valuable when it creates access to opportunity.
“We don’t want this to be about trophies,” Wakoba said. “Recognition matters when it creates opportunity. For an early-stage startup, being discovered by the right investor, landing a first enterprise customer, finding a strategic partner or attracting exceptional talent can be far more valuable than an award itself.”
StartupEast will seek to facilitate connections between founders and venture capital investors, angel investors, corporate executives, technology companies, potential customers and strategic partners.
The platform will also build a pipeline of emerging startups that can be followed and supported as they progress from early product development toward commercial growth.
East Africa has produced globally recognised technology companies, particularly in mobile payments, financial services, commerce, logistics and agriculture. StartupEast is focused on identifying the companies emerging behind those established success stories.
“The Silicon Savannah story is still being written,” Wakoba said. “We have already seen what East African founders can build, but the next generation will emerge from places and sectors that may not yet be obvious. StartupEast is about finding those companies early.”
The inaugural StartupEast Awards will feature categories including Startup of the Year, Most Promising Startup and Founder of the Year, alongside sector categories covering areas such as artificial intelligence, fintech, health technology, agritech, climate technology and enterprise technology.
Startup nominations are now open through TechMoran, and those interested in attending the conference can register through StartupEast.
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