SIA Foundation said 56 early-stage startup founders delivered measurable business outcomes using artificial intelligence (AI) during its 48-hour AI Scaling Challenge.

In a statement on its Startup Foundry 3.0 programme, the organisation said participants moved from basic familiarity with AI to building live solutions, including customer service chatbots, business websites and workflow systems designed to reduce manual operations.

The challenge was a key part of the third edition of its annual accelerator, with a focus on execution under time-bound conditions rather than theoretical knowledge.

The statement noted that founders were grouped into five cross-functional teams and required to evaluate AI tools across marketing, operations, finance and product development. Each team selected one tool, integrated it into a business process and presented a live demonstration to a panel of judges.

It added that the 56 participants were drawn from Nigeria, Ghana and Ethiopia, operating across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, clean energy and recycling.

Of the total, 58 per cent are at the seed stage, while 70 per cent have been in operation for less than two years.
SIA Foundation said the exercise was designed to address low AI adoption among African small businesses, despite the availability of low-cost or free tools, noting that the gap lies in the absence of structured environments for practical deployment.

Founder of Rojuagrovault, Yusuff Adebonuola, said, “Every founder has heard about AI. The ones who will win are the ones who stopped listening and started building. The gap is not information; it is execution. How fast can you move from knowing to doing? That is the only question that matters right now.”

The foundation cited practical outcomes from the challenge, including the experience of Founder of Scrap2Style, Oghenetejiri Ogodo, whose team integrated an AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot within the 48-hour window to manage customer inquiries, orders and delivery tracking.

Co-chair of SIA Foundation, Sola Adeyinka, said the programme emphasises practical learning and immediate application.

Adeyinka said, “We are very intentional about the quality of training; it is highly practical and immediately applicable. African founders do not have the luxury of spending months studying a tool before using it. The market is moving, and those who act fast will have the advantage. We are here to accelerate performance, not just potential.”