On Friday morning, Strathmore University becomes the centre of African health tech.

The Terumo BCT Africa Hackathon final showcase runs Friday 13 November 2026, 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at Strathmore University in Nairobi, with virtual participation as well.

The challenge is not small. Teams have spent three weeks designing and prototyping a standardised, intelligent and adaptable blood-bank information system for Africa — the kind of system that tracks a unit of blood from vein to vein.

Up to 50 participants were selected, aged 18 to 35, working solo or in teams of up to five. Applications closed on 25 October.

The money is real: USD 5,000 cash for the one overall winner, announced at 12:50 p.m. after finalist pitches from 11:20 a.m. Finalists are announced at 11:10 a.m.

A five-person judging panel — Terumo BCT, a transfusion specialist, a technology/AI expert, a health-system representative and an independent product expert — scores the work on technical depth, architecture, AI and data reliability, scalability and interoperability.

The backers are heavyweight. Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies hosts and owns the challenge, Strathmore is the venue partner, Talo Africa powers the event, Bowmans is knowledge partner, Oracle is technology partner, the Kenya Blood Transfusion and Transplant Service is knowledge partner, and CIO Africa is official media partner.

One of the speakers is Dr Jeremiah M. Mumo, Director of Digital Health and Informatics at the Digital Health Agency, Kenya.

One rule stands out: no real patient or donor data. Every prototype runs on synthetic or openly licensed data only.