Menu

Our Partners
SOLVE FOR X
EPF'S INNOVATION ENGINE

Solve for X: SOUTH AFRICA'S RAPID INNOVATION ENGINE.

Building scalable tech solutions and developing youth skills through a structured 4IR framework.

Corporate Partnership: Launch a Custom Challenge
Youth Innovators: Join the Next Cohort
Partner / Sponsor a Hackathon Join the Next Cohort
View 2026 Hackathon Schedule
Solve for X cohort participants holding certificates of completion Solve for X logo

YOUR 4X JOURNEY: FROM IDEA TO IMPACT

1

Ideate & Research

Market research identifies regional root causes.

2

Hack & Prototype

40-hour hackathons unite local developers to engineer scalable software solutions.

3

Incubate & Scale

Promising ventures receive capital, mentorship, and enterprise development via the Venture Builder.

4

Deploy & Sustain

Sustained tech solutions driving economic growth.

THE TECH IMPLEMENTATION ECOSYSTEM

Ecosystem
Co-Create Solutions
Deploy & Pilot
Sustain & Scale
Operational Impact
Co-Create Solutions
Deploy & Pilot
Sustain & Scale
Operational Impact

PROVEN 40+ INNOVATION CHALLENGES & HACKATHONS DELIVERED.

Partners include academia, civil society, government, corporates and ecosystem partners.

Backed by EPF AI Campus & Tech Fund

OUR IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS

BRING US YOUR CHALLENGE
LEAVE WITH A PROTOTYPE.

Host a hackathon or commission a prototype sprint with Solve for X.

START A CHALLENGE
EPF Ecosystem logo
EMPIRE PARTNER FOUNDATION
YOUTH, TECH AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Built together with our partners

EPF Ecosystem
EPF Ecosystem

A South African non-profit innovation ecosystem for youth, tech and entrepreneurship: training, hackathons, startup incubation and AI solutions for public sector challenges.

Solve for X hackathons that turn ideas into working solutions
Incubation for young African founders
Visit website
AI Campus
AI Campus

The AI and technology arm of the ecosystem. It builds and runs platforms used in live government and enterprise environments.

Upskill graduates in AI, software engineering and data science
Build platforms that solve public sector problems
Visit website
EPF Tech Fund
EPF Tech Fund

The ecosystem's investment arm, backing early-stage, youth-led African technology businesses that solve public sector challenges.

Capital for post-revenue technology businesses
Support with business modelling and market access
Visit website