Silicon Savannah Tech Summit
Maarifa · Kiswahili for knowledge
Kenya's tech story is usually told as a gap to close. This summit tells what Kenya is already building.
July 2027, Nairobi.Three days. Venue announced soon.
Kenya is full of knowledge. It lives in the engineers building for the world from Nairobi, the founders who built mobile money, the researchers teaching machines Kiswahili, and the students shipping apps between lectures. Most of it is never seen in one place.
Silicon Savannah Tech Summit: Maarifa is where that knowledge steps into the spotlight, meets the people who can use it, and keeps growing long after the summit ends. Three things happen there.
- SharedKenyan builders on the main stage.
In talks and live interviews, telling their own story.
- BuiltWorkshops, hackathons and an African Language AI Challenge.
Every dataset and model from the challenge is released for everyone to use.
- CarriedA year of hands-on programming with ARTS Technology Foundation.
So what starts in July keeps building all year.
Three days. One big stage each day, and something new around it.
Every day the table is set: Kenyan food, highland coffee and tea, and live music.
Keynotes and fireside chats with the people building Kenya's tech story, then a room designed for real conversations.
Keynotes · Fireside chats · Lightning talks
Hands-on workshops and build sprints on the demo floor. The African Language AI Challenge kicks off here.
Workshops · Build sprints · Demo floor
Talent meets employers, finalists pitch on the main stage, and founders sit down with investors.
Talent Match · Pitch finals · Investor office hours
Audience is 18 and up: builders, founders, students, researchers, employers and investors.
Twelve formats. Three of them are the reason to fly in.
Build in Kenya's own languages. Small teams, real datasets, a working prototype by the end.
Ten startups, one stage, investors in the room.
Real roles from real employers. Interviews on site, not business cards.
And around them: keynotes and panels for the big ideas, build sprints, workshops with laptops open, lightning talks at five minutes each, podcasts and live interviews recorded on the floor, the demo floor itself, investor office hours, a public policy dialogue on Kenya's AI policy, and After Dark, the kick-off mixer and the awards night.
The hero moment
The African Language AI Challenge
Teams build AI that works in the languages people in Kenya actually speak. Every dataset and model is released for everyone to use.
Before the summit. Teams form and start building early.
Day two. Sprints on the demo floor, with mentors in the room.
Day three. Finalists demo on the main stage. Every output is released.
Who's in the room
Industrystartupshubsuniversitiesinvestorsand public partners. Six lanes, one floor, three days.
Global and Kenyan companies, founders, innovation hubs, universities, capital and civic partners. The point of the room is that they are in it together.
Who we've worked with
The same team runs the Silicon Forest Tech Summit in Portland, Oregon.
Three editions, with the companies and institutions that shape the Pacific Northwest. Nairobi is the next room.
adidas · Daimler Truck · Autodesk · OMSI · and more
Sponsors, exhibitors, speakers and collaborators, 2024 to 2026.
The people behind it.
Ana Owusu BempahCo-founder, STEAM Circuit Africa ProgramsHead of Business Development. Builds talent pipelines and connects the summit to Africa's AI research network.
Renee AimbaCo-founder, STEAM Circuit Africa ProgramsHead of Operations. Founder of ARTS Technology Foundation, which runs technology programming in Nairobi today.
Yoseph UkbazghiFounder and CEO, STEAM CircuitFounder of the Silicon Forest Tech Summit and host of the Nairobi Interview Series.
With Dr. Iphigenie Bugingo, MPH in Life Sciences, Mathias and Collins in Microelectronics and Robotics, and Jeff Brown in Food and Beverage.
The Savannah brings the momentum. STEAM Circuit brings the playbook.
STEAM Circuit produces the summit and runs the platform behind it. ARTS Technology Foundation is on the ground in Nairobi: the local programming, the relationships, and the year of work after July. Founding partners get their name on the first edition, a seat at the table, and direct access to Kenya's builders. If that's you, write to us.
Questions
When and where is it?
July 2027 in Nairobi, Kenya, over three days. The venue will be announced soon.
Who is it for?
Builders, founders, students, researchers, employers and investors, 18 and up. If you make things with technology in Kenya, or want to work with people who do, it's for you.
How do I hear about registration?
Subscribe at steamcircuit.com and you'll hear first.
What is the African Language AI Challenge?
A build challenge for AI that works in the languages people in Kenya actually speak. Finalists demo on the main stage on day three, and every dataset and model is released for everyone to use.
How do I partner or sponsor?
Email maarifa@steamcircuit.com.
Who's behind it?
STEAM Circuit, the Portland nonprofit behind the Silicon Forest Tech Summit, with ARTS Technology Foundation in Nairobi as the local partner.
Kenya isn't a gap to close. It's a stage already full.
A student leaves with a mentor and a first project. An engineer leaves with a role and a team. A founder leaves with an investor conversation and a stage to return to.