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Apply for AI Hub for Sustainable Development – Cyber4Africa Programme 2026 for African AI Startups

Application Deadline: June 8, 2026

About the Programme

For the 2026 AI Hub for Sustainable Development Cyber4Africa Programme, applications are now being accepted. Through the Cyber4Africa Programme, Cyber 4.0’s deep expertise in cybersecurity capacity building, Cisco Kenya’s technical infrastructure and regional reach, and the AI Hub’s ecosystem position at the intersection of AI development, policy, and institutional trust are brought together. At scale in Africa, something that does not yet exist a practical, startup-oriented cyber resilience model embedded into the AI development lifecycle from the beginning is being built by these partners together. Around a conviction that the most important interventions are upstream, the programme is designed. Not auditing systems after vulnerabilities emerge, but equipping founders and technical teams to build securely from day one is the focus. Into the innovation process, security-by-design is sought to be embedded so that trust is earned before it is tested. Among African AI founders who understand that their collective security posture shapes the credibility of the entire ecosystem, a community of practice is also sought to be built.

Programme Details

Over six months, the programme runs and is structured around three interconnected workstreams:

Cyber Resilience and Awareness: To help startups assess their cybersecurity posture, strengthen organisational awareness, and align with international security standards, tailored advisory support is provided. At the start of the programme, a Cybersecurity Light Assessment is received by all participating startups.
Training and Capacity Building: Remotely and in person, specialized training is delivered, including webinars on AI security essentials, a cybersecurity starter mini-course, and access to Cisco’s Cybersecurity Training Centre in Nairobi for hands-on workshops.
Technical and Operational Support: Through expert engagement, technical office hours, and AI Security Quick Scan, hands-on support is provided to help startups implement cybersecurity controls, strengthen incident response capabilities, and improve operational resilience.

Sectoral Focus

In five sectors where cybersecurity exposure is most acute, and the consequences of failure are most severe, African AI startups are targeted by the programme:

Healthcare and Digital Health — patient records, diagnostics, and health infrastructure where security failures can compromise care and erode public trust
Fintech and Financial Services — the most targeted sector globally, where cyber incidents undermine both financial inclusion and consumer confidence
Govtech and Civic Technology — digital identity and e-government platforms where vulnerabilities directly compromise institutional legitimacy
Energy and Climate Technology — AI-enabled infrastructure where digital vulnerabilities carry physical and national consequences
AI Infrastructure and Data Platforms — the foundational layer where security failures cascade across entire networks of users, developers, and dependent systems

Eligibility Requirements

To African AI startups that meet the following criteria, the Cyber4Africa Programme is open:

An AI-enabled product, platform, or service at MVP stage or beyond is possessed
In environments with meaningful cybersecurity exposure, operation occurs
Sensitive personal, financial, or operational data is handled
In one or more of the programme’s five priority sectors, building is underway
Africa-based or building solutions for African markets
Throughout the six-month programme, active participation capacity is available

Programme Benefits

By participants in the Cyber4Africa Programme, the following will be gained:

A structured cybersecurity assessment and a prioritised action plan tailored to their technology stack and sector context will be received
The technical and operational security capability needed to protect their product, their users’ data, and their institutional partnerships will be built
Remotely and in-person, expert-led training from Cyber 4.0’s specialist network and Cisco’s Nairobi Training Centre will be accessed
With institutional partners, investors, and regulators who increasingly require evidence of security practices before procurement or collaboration, their position will be strengthened
To a community of African AI founders committed to building with security and trust at the centre, joining will occur

Programme Timeline

Programme start: July 1, 2026
Duration: 6 months
Questions: aihubforsustainabledevelopment@undp.org

How to Apply

Click on the link to the application website to apply.

Application Link: Click here to apply

Why This Programme Matters

In healthcare, finance, governance, energy, and data infrastructure, transformative solutions are being built by African AI startups. Yet an afterthought is often cybersecurity something to address after a product is built, after users are onboarded, after a breach occurs. Viable, this approach is no longer. Before procurement or collaboration, evidence of security practices is increasingly required by institutional partners, investors, and regulators. And for startups handling sensitive personal, financial, or operational data, a single breach can destroy trust and shut down operations. By embedding security-by-design into the AI development lifecycle from the beginning, the Cyber4Africa Programme addresses this gap. Rather than auditing systems after vulnerabilities emerge, to build securely from day one, founders and technical teams are equipped by the programme.

For African AI startups in high-risk sectors like healthcare, fintech, govtech, energy, and AI infrastructure, a unique opportunity to do the following is offered by this programme: