UDSM Student Innovators Shine in Zanzibar, Win Top Prize at Global Startup Showcase
By Jackson Isdory, CMU
Students from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) have delivered an outstanding performance at the Faculty Exchange Programme on Research and Innovation Commercialization 2026, winning top honours and reaffirming the University’s growing reputation as a leading hub for technology-driven innovation in East Africa.
The week-long programme, held from 2–7 March 2026 at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras Zanzibar Campus, brought together universities, policymakers, development partners, and innovation ecosystem leaders from East Africa and Asia.
The initiative aimed to explore how higher education institutions can strengthen their innovation ecosystems and transform research ideas into startups and scalable enterprises.
During the highly competitive Student Innovation Showcase, the UDSM team VESTIS emerged as the overall winner, securing a prize of Euro 4,500 to support the commercialization of their technology. Another UDSM team, Ecofy Africa, also performed strongly, finishing fourth and receiving Euro 3,000 in recognition of their innovative solution.
Opening the programme, Mudrick Soraga, Minister of Communication, ICT and Innovation of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, emphasized the need for universities to reposition themselves as drivers of innovation-led development.
“Universities must evolve beyond traditional teaching and research roles to become innovation engines that produce founders, creators, and technology-driven enterprises. Initiatives such as the FUNGUO programme demonstrate how academia, government, and industry can collaborate to unlock the region’s innovation potential”, said Soraga.
Similarly, Kumar Praveen, Consul General of India in Zanzibar, praised the expanding collaboration among academic institutions across continents.
“Partnerships between universities in Africa, Asia, and Europe are essential for knowledge exchange and innovation. Platforms like this strengthen global cooperation while empowering students to transform ideas into impactful solutions”, he noted.
AI fashion platform wins top prize
The winning team, VESTIS, developed an integrated digital platform that enables fashion vendors to upload garment images and instantly generate AI-powered virtual try-on visuals.
The system digitally fits clothing onto diverse, locally representative models in natural settings, enabling sellers to create digital catalogues optimized for social media marketing. Buyers can browse the catalogues and connect directly with vendors through platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram.
The team comprises Ms. Happy Weston, Mr. Thabit Gange, Mr. Christopher Mtoi, and Ms. Regina Mbwana, all students from the College of Information and Communication Technologies (CoICT) at UDSM.
Speaking after the award announcement, team member Happy Weston, a second-year Bachelor of Science in Business Information Technology student, described the recognition as a major milestone for the team.
“This experience has shown us that ideas developed by students on campus can grow into real businesses. Our goal is to empower local fashion entrepreneurs with technology that makes their products more visible and competitive in the digital economy”, she said.
Another UDSM team, Ecofy Africa, also demonstrated strong innovation potential by securing fourth place. The team includes Benjamin Mashimba, Dinales Mdollo, Camillia Saburi, and Isack Lugata, also from CoICT.
Reflecting on the competition, Benjamin Mashimba, a third-year Computer Engineering and Information Technology student, highlighted the value of international exposure.
“Competing alongside teams from different institutions and countries helped us refine our ideas and better understand how research and technology can transition from university projects into scalable enterprises,” he said.
International partnerships driving innovation
The programme was organized under the Trilateral Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Partnership (RIEP) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Shigeki Komatsubara, Resident Representative of UNDP Tanzania, emphasized the importance of strengthening innovation ecosystems that support young entrepreneurs.
“Young innovators across East Africa are developing solutions with enormous potential. “Our role as development partners is to strengthen the ecosystems that help these ideas move from prototypes to viable enterprises”, he said.
In the same spirit, Agnes Kabissa, Communications, Outreach and Advocacy Analyst at UNDP under the FUNGUO Innovation Programme, underscored the importance of collaborative platforms in nurturing entrepreneurship.
“When universities, development partners, and governments collaborate effectively, we create pathways for young innovators to test ideas, access mentorship, and scale solutions that respond to real market needs,” she said.
Hosting the event, Prabhu Rajagopal, Director in Charge of the IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus, stressed the responsibility of universities to foster environments where innovation can thrive.
“Universities must build ecosystems where ideas are tested, prototypes developed, and startups launched. The talent displayed by these students shows that the next generation of technology entrepreneurs is already emerging from our campuses”, he said.
Mentorship and Intellectual Property support
The UDSM teams were mentored by Dr. Nassor Ally and Dr. Moses Ismail, whose technical guidance helped refine the student innovations.
Dr. Ally noted that mentorship and exposure are essential in helping students transform ideas into impactful solutions.
“Students have remarkable creativity and technical ability,” he said. “What they need is the right mentorship, exposure, and platforms to translate their ideas into real-world innovations.”
Commenting on the importance of protecting student innovations, Dr. Judith Iddy, Intellectual Property Manager at UDSM, emphasized the role of intellectual property management in commercialization.
“Protecting intellectual property is a crucial step in transforming university innovations into sustainable enterprises. UDSM is committed to supporting our students and researchers in safeguarding their ideas while guiding them through the commercialization journey”, she explained.
The impressive performance by UDSM students highlights the University’s expanding role in technology innovation and entrepreneurship in East Africa. For the institution, the success of VESTIS and Ecofy Africa reflects not only academic excellence but also the growing capacity of its students to transform technological ideas into practical and commercially viable ventures.
As universities across the region increasingly position themselves as drivers of startup ecosystems, UDSM’s success at the Zanzibar programme underscores its commitment to nurturing the next generation of African innovators.