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Britam’s innovation hub, BetaLab, has officially launched the Regional Startup Challenge 2025, a strategic new initiative aimed at identifying and empowering growth-stage startups across Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. This program is part of Britam’s broader mission to drive digital transformation in East Africa by nurturing collaboration between the financial services giant and some of the region’s most promising entrepreneurial ventures.
The challenge specifically targets established startups that are ready to scale their operations and explore strategic partnerships in sectors such as finance, insurance, health, agriculture, and technology. To be eligible, companies must be legally registered in one of the three focus countries, have a minimum operational track record of two years, and be at Series B funding stage or later, indicating maturity in product development and revenue generation.
Britam is particularly interested in startups offering solutions in fintech, insurtech, health tech, consumer tech, agritech, retail, and supply chain management. Innovations that enhance the insurance and financial services value chain—including advancements in payment systems, digital distribution, data analytics and AI, underwriting, claims processing, as well as applications in healthcare and agriculture—are highly encouraged to apply.
Startups selected to participate in the challenge will benefit from a robust support ecosystem. Key offerings include:
- A Venture Development Bootcamp designed to refine business models and accelerate market readiness.
- A 60-day intensive accelerator program, during which startups will collaborate closely with Britam’s internal business units to develop and validate new solutions.
- An Investor Demo Day, providing a platform for participants to pitch their innovations to a curated audience of regional and global investors.
- Access to technology credits, supporting their technical development and helping them scale more efficiently.
Commenting on the launch, Britam emphasized that the challenge is a reflection of its long-term commitment to innovation and sustainable growth. By combining its industry expertise and resources with the agility and creativity of fast-growing startups, Britam aims to foster transformative partnerships capable of solving some of the region’s most pressing economic and societal challenges.
Applications for the Regional Startup Challenge 2025 are currently open and will close on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. Interested startups can learn more and apply via the official application portal [insert hyperlink or application URL here]. This initiative marks a significant step in reinforcing East Africa’s startup ecosystem, with the potential to generate scalable solutions that can redefine multiple industries across the region.
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Britam Holding PLC is a leading diversified financial services group and is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The group has presence in seven Africa countries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Mozambique and Malawi. Betalab is Britam’s innovation lab, a corporate acceleration program used to explore acquisition and collaboration with Insurtech and FinTech.
