The second edition of the Hackathon Future Champions, organized by Rio Tinto, will be officially launched on October 15, 2026, in Conakry, Guinea. The event will take place at the Chapiteau By Issa, Palais du Peuple, at 10:30 am, in the presence of national authorities, university representatives, program partners, and winners of the first edition. This ceremony will also mark the beginning of the call for projects, which will be open from October 15 to November 15, 2026, on the hackathonriotinto.com platform.
The Hackathon Future Champions is a program designed to support entrepreneurship, innovation, and business creation by young Guineans. The initiative is part of Rio Tinto's efforts to promote the development of a dynamic and competitive Guinean private sector. This program aims to create a bridge between the boldness of ideas and the means to realize them. For the second edition, Rio Tinto has partnered with TotalEnergies and Ecobank as co-sponsors, bringing together three strategic sectors: mining, energy, and banking.
The 2026 program is open to students from Guinean higher education institutions, both public and private, as well as startup founders who have been in business for less than two years. Applications are free and accessible from all regions of Guinea, regardless of the sector of activity. Participants can submit their applications individually or in teams of up to five people. The program's goal is to transform ideas into viable and promising businesses.
The Hackathon Future Champions is not limited to rewarding the best projects; it also offers a comprehensive support program to transform a vision into a viable and fundable project. Applications will be evaluated based on a structured grid that considers relevance, innovation, feasibility, economic viability, potential impact, and development capacity. Finalists will receive intensive coaching on consolidating their business model, financial planning, and preparing their presentation to a panel of experts.
The winners of the Hackathon Future Champions will receive seed funding and support to facilitate the creation, launch, or development of their businesses. In the first edition, which took place in 2025, 936 participants submitted applications, and 780 projects were registered from Guinean universities, including 199 female applications. After the selection process, 21 finalists were selected, and seven projects were awarded a total of 430 million Guinean francs to support the development of their businesses.
For the 2026 edition, the program aims to receive over 1,500 projects and mobilize more than 2,000 young entrepreneurs. The ceremony of launch will take place on October 15, 2026, at 10:30 am at the Chapiteau By Issa, Palais du Peuple, Conakry. The call for projects will be open from October 15 to November 15, 2026, without extension. Intellact Consulting is the implementation partner of the Hackathon Future Champions 2026.
The Hackathon Future Champions 2026 is a unique opportunity for young Guineans to turn their ideas into businesses. With the support of Rio Tinto, TotalEnergies, and Ecobank, this program is poised to make a significant impact on the Guinean entrepreneurship ecosystem. Interested applicants can register on the hackathonriotinto.com platform and take the first step towards transforming their ideas into reality.
Key points
- The Hackathon Future Champions 2026 is open to students and young entrepreneurs from all regions of Guinea.
- The program offers a comprehensive support package, including coaching and seed funding, to help winners launch their businesses.
- The 2026 edition aims to receive over 1,500 projects and mobilize more than 2,000 young entrepreneurs.
