After a year of roaming the world and analyzing startup ecosystems in fast growing economies, Seedstars is proud to present the grand finale of Seedstars World, the largest emerging markets startup competition. For its fifth anniversary, Seedstars promises its very best Summit to date, gathering 65+ handpicked startups coming from Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and Africa. Spanning a wide variety of verticals, from Fin-tech to Ed-tech, Med/Bio-tech, Agri-tech, Insure-tech, Clean-tech and High/Nano-tech, they will reunite in the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne, Switzerland to compete for different prizes and the title of Seedstars Global Winner, qualifying to win up to $1M in equity investment.
The 2018 edition will also attract startups enthusiasts, investors, business angels, government officials, incubators, NGOs and journalists from all over the world for an international and unique hands-on networking experience.
The 2017 Seedstars Summit was a success, with more than 1’000 attendees from all over the world, around 60 startup finalists and 116 investors, who took part in more than 450 one-on-one meetings. Speakers such as Bob Collymore, CEO of Safaricom, and Alexander Galitsky, Managing Partner of Almaz Capital, animated discussions around major themes of fast growing markets. The Best Woman Entrepreneur prize was awarded to Monica Abarca, from qAIRa (Peru), an air-pollution monitoring drone, whilst the most Innovative Startup prize was presented to PiQuant, a South Korean hardware startup dedicated to decreasing the harmful impact of chemicals in food. Nevertheless, the highlight of the event was the crowning of Mario Jordan Fetalino III, CEO of Acudeen Technologies (Philippines), as the Seedstars Global winner.
The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released lists of Successful appeals and supplementary lists. Below is a list arising from appeals of Government Sponsored candidates who have been admitted:
Makerere University and DFCU Bank have today signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bolster innovation, student leadership, research and community impact initiatives.
The collaboration which will see the equipping of the Disability Support center for students living with disabilities through the MAK run and more leadership trainings for students will begin this July.
“The MoU will strengthen research collaborations across sectors like agriculture and health and it will also support the Mutebile Centre to assist private sector growth, which is crucial in lifting Africa out of poverty,” said Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (R) flanked by Mr. Charles Mudiwa (L) makes his remarks at the MoU signing ceremony.
Speaking during the event, Mr. Charles M. Mudiwa, the DFCU Bank Chief Executive Officer, welcomed the move, noting its alignment with the bank’s mission to transform lives and support national development through four pillars: funding, financial inclusion, enterprise development, and vocational education.
“This MoU crowns years of effort and shared intent between our institutions,” he stated. Mr. Mudiwa highlighted the bank’s commitment to skilling youth through internships, curriculum development, and support for innovation hubs and centres of excellence at the university. “We consume the graduates of Makerere. In our most recent graduate intake of 87, 60% were Makerere alumni. The bank allocates around 30 internship positions annually to equip young people with the skills necessary for future roles within the institution,” Mr. Mudiwa, noted.
Representing the student body, Guild President His Excellency, Sentamu Churchill James, commended the partnership as a timely intervention that will empower youth, support SMEs, and expand internship and leadership development opportunities.
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (2nd L) presents a framed portrait of the Main Building to Mr. Charles Mudiwa (C) as L-R: University Secretary-Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, 91st Guild President-H.E. Ssentamu Churchill James and Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration)-Prof. Winston Tumps Ireeta witness.
“Students are the heartbeat of the university. This collaboration will empower youth and strengthen their role in national development,” His Excellency Ssentamu, said.
About MAK RUN 2025
The Makerere Run 2025 (#MakRun2025), hosted by the Makerere University Endowment Fund (MAKEF) on 17th August 2025, returns for its fifth edition as Kampala’s premier charity marathon, uniting 8,000+ runners—students, alumni, corporate teams, and elite athletes—to tackle the city’s iconic hills under the theme “Run the Hills for the Future.” This landmark event combines competitive racing with transformative impact, channeling proceeds to strengthen Makerere University’s community programs while offering unmatched branding opportunities for partners through Kampala’s largest university-led sporting spectacle.
The Mak Run, scheduled this year for August 17th, is a flagship initiative that mobilizes students, staff, alumni, and partners to raise funds for projects such as the Disability Support Unit and the Student Centre.