Verified access between Silicon Valley and Africa
Meet the people who can move your work forward.
Silicon Xchange is a trusted network of founders, investors, and operators working across Silicon Valley and Africa.
Discover
Three people worth meeting this week.
Thandiwe Khumalo
COO, Nordlys Biotech · Johannesburg
Looking for market-entry advisors and operator peers.
More for you
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Oluwaseun Adeyemi
Founder, Kiln Robotics
Founder
Nadia Hassan
Principal, Red Sea Ventures
Investor
Why Silicon Xchange exists
Good companies are missed when trust depends on who already knows you.
Founder
Can have real revenue and still look like a stranger to an investor in California.
Diaspora executive
Can have the right expertise and no reliable way to tell which founders are ready.
Investor
Can want exposure to African technology and still lack the company-level information needed to act.
Warm intros
Help, but do not give the market a repeatable way to verify people, compare opportunities, and build trust.
That is the gap Silicon Xchange closes.
Results
Real outcomes, not a longer contact list.
From introduction to international customer
Silicon Xchange connected ChipMango, a semiconductor talent and engineering company, with a university in Uganda — turning a cross-border introduction into ChipMango’s first global customer relationship.
Finding the technical leadership to scale
Through the Silicon Xchange network, Satlyt connected with the technical leader who would go on to become its CTO, helping the space computing startup build the engineering leadership needed for its next stage of growth.
A new path for Kenyan founders
At the 2025 Silicon Xchange Summit in Nairobi, Dr. Tonny K. Omwansa, chairman and president of the Innovation Agencies in Africa Network, and Nick Vilelle, founder of the Nairobi Business Angel Network, joined Silicon Xchange and ecosystem partners working to bring Kenya into the Startup World Cup circuit.
BuuPass went on to become the first African startup to place in the global Top 3.
Bringing OpenAI directly to African developers
Through Build Hours with OpenAI, Silicon Xchange gives developers across Africa direct access to OpenAI engineers for hands-on technical sessions focused on building and shipping production software with AI.
The first session drew nearly 200 developers from 18 countries, with more than 430 registrations across the series.
What people say after entering the room
The difference is intentional.
“Most convenings put the right people in a building and hope. This one engineered proximity, and you could feel it in the quality of what got said. Investors, operators, founders, builders, every seat carrying real weight.”
“An excellent gathering of like-minded individuals and inspiring conversations about the future of FDI on the continent. Fantastic work from the Silicon Xchange team.”
“Easily one of the highest-quality events yet. Thumbs up for the organizers.”
Programs
The network becomes real in the work we do together.
Build Hours
Live technical sessions connecting developers across Africa with engineers building at the frontier of AI.
View Build Hours →Startup World Cup
A path for selected African startups to compete locally, meet investors, and reach the global final in San Francisco.
Explore Startup World Cup →Curated rooms
Small dinners and working sessions in San Francisco, Nairobi, Los Angeles, New York, Austin, and other global hubs. Built for substantive conversations, not badge collection.
View upcoming events →Institutional programs
Founder, investor, talent, and market-entry programs for governments, technology companies, funds, and ecosystem partners.
Partner with Silicon Xchange →Member offers
Partner benefits for every member.
Deel
Global Hiring & Payroll
International hiring, contractor management, and payroll.
ACCELR8
Founder Housing & Community
Furnished founder housing and community in San Francisco.
Upcoming events
Enter the next room.
Build Hours
Live technical session for African developers with OpenAI engineers.
RSVP on Luma →SF Tech Week
Curated rooms and working sessions across San Francisco Tech Week.
RSVP on Luma →Silicon Xchange Summit
The annual flagship: founders, investors, technology leaders, and policymakers in one room.
RSVP on Luma →Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know.
Who is Silicon Xchange for?
Founders, investors, and operators actively building, investing, or operating across the Africa–Silicon Valley corridor. Every member completes a registration review before their profile is activated.
How does membership work?
Community, Pro, and Plus are reviewed, paid annual memberships with increasing levels of access, from private matching to a searchable directory to concierge-level introductions. See the pricing page for a full comparison.
What is the Founding 100?
A limited, invite-only cohort of 100 members who receive a year of complimentary Plus access and a lifetime 25% discount on Plus renewals, in exchange for early feedback that shapes the network.
Is my information public once I join?
No. Community members keep a private profile used only for matching. Pro and Plus members choose a searchable profile visible to other reviewed members, never to the public.
How do I become an Ambassador?
Apply through the Ambassadors program. Approved Ambassadors get a complimentary Pro membership for their appointment term, a referral code offering their network 20% off, and recognition on their profile.
The right introduction starts with knowing who is in the room.
Join a verified network built for founders, investors, operators, and institutions working between Silicon Valley and Africa.