Code for Impact 2025: AgriMerge, MotherLink, and Inkingi Rescue Win Rwanda's Inaugural Youth Innovation Competition

After months of building, refining, and dreaming big, young innovators took the Code for Impact stage on November 21, 2025, showcasing solutions that will shape Rwanda's digital future. The inaugural competition, which received hundreds of applications, crowned three winners while all Top 10 finalists advance to incubation and mentorship as part of the competition's mission to nurture 10 high-potential startups annually.

While all 10 finalists will receive incubation support and rewards, the top three winners gain additional benefits including silver membership in the Rwanda ICT Chamber. The complete list of Top 10 finalists represents diverse solutions addressing challenges in agriculture, healthcare, emergency response, and community development.

Wisdom from Industry Leaders

The final event featured a panel discussion moderated by Dieudonne, founder of Mastery Hub Rwanda, where industry leaders shared critical insights for young innovators navigating Rwanda's startup ecosystem.

Dare Daramola, Learning and Community Manager at ALX, challenged the perception of technology as merely a money-making machine. He said that technology was created to solve problems and make an impact in the first place. Money comes as a result. He emphasized that many people still underestimate the power of AI and advised youth to conduct deeper research and catch up with market trends, noting that AI tools were created to help humanity do more, better.

Charles Shima, founder of Tourifique, recounted a powerful personal story that shaped his decision to relocate to Rwanda. During travels abroad, when he mentioned coming from Rwanda, some people asked if he had HIV/AIDS (misconception foreigners have about Africans). But he also remembers when he met an influential figure and mentioned Rwanda, the response was, "I love Rwanda." This contrast prompted Shima to return home and build from Rwanda. "We have to know who we are," he emphasized, urging young Rwandans to stop waiting for external saviors and instead build solutions from within.

One recurring concern among young entrepreneurs is hesitation when they believe the government is already working on similar solutions or when they lack immediate government support. Deogratias Amani, representing the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, addressed these fears directly. He advised young people to validate their ideas by actively knocking on doors and asking questions rather than assuming obstacles exist. Amani also encouraged innovators concerned about idea theft to file Intellectual Property protections under existing laws, providing legal recourse if their innovations are appropriated.

Next Year's Vision: Financial Support and Expanded Reach

As Rwanda's first Code for Impact competition, the inaugural edition's success; measured by hundreds of applications, demonstrated young people's eagerness to solve societal problems through technology. Organizers expressed pride in this achievement while revealing ambitious plans for the 2026 edition.

According to organizers, next year's competition aims to provide financial support in addition to the incubation, mentorship, and ICT Chamber membership currently offered. This expansion responds to feedback that while technical support is valuable, early-stage capital remains a critical barrier for student innovators who lack resources to prototype, test, and scale their solutions.

The competition aligns with Rwanda's broader digital transformation strategy and the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), which prioritizes innovation-driven job creation and entrepreneurship. By targeting 10 high-potential startups annually through systematic incubation and mentorship, Code for Impact contributes to building a sustainable pipeline of tech-enabled solutions addressing Rwanda's development challenges.

For the Top 10 finalists now entering incubation, the journey shifts from pitching to implementation. With access to mentorship, technical resources, and industry connections through the ICT Chamber and ALX, these young innovators face the critical test of transforming promising ideas into viable products that deliver measurable impact.