Santa Clara, California, Feb. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At a defining moment for Africa’s economic and innovation landscape, the African Diaspora Network (ADN) will once again bring the world’s most influential changemakers to Silicon Valley for the 2026 African Diaspora Investment Symposium (ADIS26) — March 25–27, 2026, at Santa Clara University.
More than an investment conference, ADIS26 is a call to action for the global African diaspora to transform ideas into impact. This year’s theme — “Bridging Africa & Silicon Valley: Shaping the Future of Innovation, Investment, and Inclusive Growth” — reflects a powerful vision: connecting Africa’s emerging “Silicon Savannahs” with Silicon Valley’s deep ecosystems of technology and capital to drive the continent’s next decade of inclusive growth. Register here:
The Critical Moment for Collaboration
With Africa’s youth population set to double by 2050, and exponential growth in startups across fintech, biotech and clean tech, galvanizing diaspora partnerships has never been more urgent. ADIS26 positions the diaspora as a driving force — bridging global networks, unlocking investment and influencing systems that shape the future.
“African Diaspora Investment Symposium is more than a convening, it is the catalytic platform that drives everything we do at the African Diaspora Network,” said Almaz Negash, founder and CEO of the African Diaspora Network. “All of our programs and partnerships stem from the relationships and commitments forged at ADIS, from entrepreneurship and scientific collaboration to policy and investment. It is where ideas turn into commitments, relationships turn into capital and capital turns into transformational impact across Africa.”
A Proven Platform for Impact
Across nearly a decade, ADIS has helped businesses and leaders turn collaboration into results:
- Gebeya, co-founded by ADIS alumni Amadou Daffe and Hiruy Amanuel, emerged from a connection made at the African Diaspora Investment Symposium. The company has since grown into a SaaS-enabled talent cloud supporting more than 70,000 African professionals and serving global organizations, including the UN Refugee Agency. Through a partnership with NVIDIA, Gebeya is now helping close Africa’s AI skills gap by training AI-certified developers — positioning the continent as a competitive hub for global AI talent and investment.
- Bio Usawa and Yemaachi Biotech, a partnership launched through the African Diaspora Investment Symposium, are accelerating precision medicine and genomics research across Africa. Bio Usawa is expanding the continent’s capacity to develop and manufacture affordable monoclonal antibody therapies for diseases that disproportionately affect African populations, while Yemaachi Biotech is advancing inclusive cancer genomics through initiatives such as the African Cancer Atlas. Together, the partners are driving breakthroughs in the treatment of infectious diseases and cancer, addressing long-standing health equity gaps and catalyzing investment into Africa’s rapidly growing life sciences and biotechnology ecosystem.
Each of these stories began at ADIS — within hallways, roundtables and networking sessions where visionaries met mission-driven investors.
“African Diaspora Investment Symposium, represents the power of what’s possible when diaspora talent, innovation and investment come together with shared purpose,” said Josh Ghaim, Ph.D., chairman, African Diaspora Network. “At this pivotal moment for Africa and its global community, the African Diaspora Network is building a platform that transcends conversation—conversation driving real collaboration and delivering measurable impact. I am proud of the visionary leadership, strategic partnerships and bold ambition behind this convening. ADIS26 will help shape the next chapter of inclusive growth and shared prosperity for Africa and the world.”
Global Leaders at ADIS26
This year’s speakers include:
- John Aisien, SVP of Central Product Management, ServiceNow
- British Robinson, Chair, Africa, Milken Institute
- Pierre Theodore, Executive Director of Health Equity, Roche/Genentech
- Ayo Sopitan, Founder & CEO, Metalex Commodities
- Maya Kulycky, VP, Strategy & Operations, Google Research
They join dozens more across policy, investment, tech and entrepreneurship for three days of dynamic dialogues, breakout sessions on Ethical AI, Fintech, Health Equity and Education and immersive networking with investors ready to turn innovation into opportunity.
Call to Action for Journalists
ADIS26 offers a front-row seat to one of the most consequential stories in global development today: how Africa’s diaspora is moving beyond remittances to mobilize capital, build companies and reshape systems on the continent and around the world.
Journalists covering innovation, global development, technology, finance and the African continent are invited to:
- Request exclusive one-on-one interviews with Almaz Negash, Josh Ghaim, Ph.D., featured speakers and ADIS alumni whose businesses have scaled following their participation in the symposium.
- Access insights, data and story leads on how diaspora-led ventures and investments are driving change across health, fintech, education, AI and more.
- Attend high-impact sessions and networking spaces where new partnerships and investment commitments are being forged in real time.
Media inquiries, press credentials and interview requests can be sent to Neneh Diallo (neneh@ndg-agency.com)
Members of the media are encouraged to secure their access early to capture the stories, voices and deals that will shape Africa’s innovation narrative in the decade ahead.
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Neneh Diallo African Diaspora Network neneh@ndg-agency.com
