Moonshot Conference Sets ‘Courage and Conviction’ Theme

Moonshot by TechCabal announced the theme for its fourth edition: “Courage & Conviction — Building for a New World.” The two-day event will take place at the National Theatre in Lagos on October 28-29, 2026.

New Theme Signals a Shift

The 2026 focus follows last year’s “Building Momentum,” which highlighted an ecosystem emerging from funding corrections in 2022 and 2023. Organizers now argue the turning point has passed, and the debate has moved from survival to defining Africa’s tech future.

The theme reflects a fast-changing global order, marked by altered capital flows, heightened demand for exits, and AI-driven industry restructuring. Rather than portraying African tech as merely adapting, the conference frames it as actively shaping the new environment.

“African tech made it through by adapting quickly, rebuilding where necessary, and continuing to ship products and build companies in one of the most complex operating environments in the world,” said Olanewaju Odunowo, head of TechCabal Insights. “Survival was never the ceiling. It was always just the floor. Moonshot 2026 is where we explore what it looks like when African tech decides to win.”

Conference Structure and Content

Programming will revolve around a five-pillar manifesto. The first pillar urges participants to “be brave enough to build like winners,” celebrating bold bets and critical infrastructure work.

The second pillar stresses durability, treating operational discipline, sustainable models, and governance as competitive advantages. The third pillar calls for “radical innovation, designed here,” spotlighting homegrown breakthroughs in AI, climate, hardware, creative sectors, and commerce.

The fourth pillar highlights conviction, featuring founders, investors, and policymakers who doubled down during tough periods. The final pillar promises to position African tech as a central, not peripheral, player in global innovation.

All nine content tracks introduced in earlier editions will remain: Future of Commerce, Creative Economy, Emerging Tech (AI & ML), Government & Policy, Startup Festival, FUEL – the Investors Conference, Clean Tech & Climate, Big Tech & Enterprise, and Entering Tech. Each track’s sessions will align with the manifesto’s principles.

Attendees can expect deep dives that confront failure, candid talks on exits, mergers, and strategic consolidation, plus showcases of Africa-first technology built for the global stage. Organizers describe the audience as “a room full of people who have earned the right to be ambitious and who understand that ambition, without discipline and honest reflection, is just noise.”

Growth and Investment Figures

The 2025 edition drew 6,000 attendees from 39 countries, contributing to a three-year total of more than 12,650 participants from 44 nations since 2023.

Investors present at the event have collectively deployed over $5 billion through their funds. Startups exhibited on the conference floor hold a combined estimated valuation exceeding $15 billion. The TC Battlefield pitch competition awarded $105,000 to 14 early-stage winners selected from 960 applicants.

Details on confirmed speakers, the full session programme, and ticket pricing, including bundles for co-located events, will be released in the coming weeks. Updates are available at the conference website.