Pwani Innovation Week is a consolidated effort by Swahilipot Hub Foundation and its partners to help create a widespread culture of innovation and stimulate the innovation ecosystem in the Coastal (Pwani) region of eastern Africa.

• Emerging Tech and Innovation: This thematic areas will focus on insiring the exploration and adoptation of cutting-edge technologies for coastal resilince, resource management and disaster preparedness.
• Climate Action: This thematic area will focus on leveraging innovative approaches and adaptive strategies for mitigating the impacts of climate change on coastal communities.
• Peace, Inclusivity and Equity: This track will focus on building strategies for resilience that can foster social cohesion and collaboration among diverse stakeholders, contributing to peace and inclusivity in coastal areas.
• Participatory Governance: This track will focus on initiatives that promote citizen science, community-based monitoring, and co-management approaches that empower locals to actively participate in the governance and management of resources and infrastructure.

Foreseeable Outcomes

• Increased awareness among policymakers and stakeholders of the region's innovation potential, leading to more enabling and sustainable policies and funding opportunities.
• Establish a network of young innovators fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and mentorship.
• Increased local job creation by youth-led ventures, encouraging talent retention within the region.
• Enhanced collaboration between investors, entrepreneurs, and local communities to develop innovative solutions within Pwani.
• Improved visibility of Pwani as an attractive investment destination focused on sustainability and innovation.
• Creation of a regional investment guide highlighting Pwani's investment opportunities and success stories.

Target Audience

Youth	Startups	Innovators
Local and National Government	Policy makers	Private sector
Development partners	Academia	Investors
Corporations and Foundations	International community

Activities

• Innovation Challenge and Hackathons
• Training Boot Camps and Workshops (Masterclass)
• Keynote speeches and panel discussions
• Ubunifu zone (Exhibition)
• Deals Den
• Heritage Experience (cultural storytelling)
• Pwani Gat Talent Concert & Awards
• Cocktail Event & Gala Dinner

Key Highlights for PIW 2023

• 30+ keynotes
• 12 engaging plenary sessions with 100+ speakers
• 53 diverse exhibitors
• 35 Startups
• Over 1,600 enthusiastic participants
• A dedicated team of 150 volunteers
• Partners, Sponsors and Investors - 32
• Government Agencies - 11
• Academia and Research - 10
• Startup Enablers - 24
• Deals Den: 12 startups secured support from lion investors, with one lion pledging USD 30k to six companies and more commitments expected.
• Mombasa Tourism Innovation Lab: KES 1.8 million awarded to six innovative tourism projects.
• Young Business Executives Fellowship Program: Eight entrepreneurs selected for a six-month entrepreneurship program.
• 4BM WhatsApp Impact Awards: KES 100k awarded to winners promoting social impact through WhatsApp.
• Hackathons: Three successful hackathons focused on IoT, blockchain, and machine learning, with the Mozilla-sponsored Machine Learning hackathon awarding USD 3,400 to winners.
• Jitume Program: 50 computers acquired from Konza Technopolis to empower youth with digital skills and job opportunities.
• Case Manager Program: Launched to reach 20,000 youths in three counties with support from 150 mentors over three years.
• Unicaf Scholarships: 80% scholarships offered for 2024.