🌟 Overview
The Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT), in collaboration with the National ICT Innovation Hub, successfully wrapped up the Innovation Bootcamp & Pitch 2025, a four-day event that elevated student academic projects into viable business solutions
With the theme, “Transforming Student Projects into Minimum Viable Products & Services en route to Commercialisation,” the bootcamp brought together over 100 final-year ICT students to refine, prototype, and present their innovations before industry leaders, policymakers, and investors
🤝 Key Partners
Their involvement included mentorship, infrastructure support, and access to strategic networks—the foundation for transforming academic concepts into business ventures.
🧩 Program Highlights
- Design Thinking & Prototyping
- Business Modelling & IP Protection
- Industry Engagement & Funding Readiness
- Pitch Competition: Participants pitched to a panel of judges comprised of investors, tech experts, and government officials
🏆 Notable Successes
- Five winning teams received UGX 5 million each in seed funding to further develop and scale their solutions .
- At least 10 high-potential projects were selected for ongoing mentorship and incubation within an innovation pipeline
🔗 Strategic Alignment
The bootcamp reinforces UICT’s applied research strategy and aligns with Uganda’s national development goals, including:
- Vision 2040
- Third National Development Plan (NDP III)
- Ministry of ICT’s Digital Transformation Roadmap (2023/24–2027/28)
✅ Impact & Transformative Value
- Bridged the gap between academic theory and commercial execution
- Empowered youth with funding and mentorship
- Catalyzed Uganda’s innovation ecosystem, enabling student-driven startups
- Demonstrated UICT’s leadership in nurturing digital-age innovators
🔭 Next Steps
UICT will continue to support the incubation of at least ten standout projects, with scalable mentorship pathways and investor engagement strategies driving these solutions toward commercial success.
