DevExpo Challenge 2026: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Social Impact

Port-au-Prince, February 25, 2026 – Banj, in partnership with the Digicel Foundation, is proud to announce the official launch of the DevExpo Challenge 2026 – AI for Social Impact, an initiative designed to address Haiti’s most pressing social challenges through locally built, AI-driven technological solutions.

This initiative is part of the 5th edition of DevExpo, a well-established platform dedicated to developers and key players in the digital innovation space. For the first time, DevExpo activities will take place across all ten departments of the country, as well as online, ensuring broader access and participation.

This partnership between Banj and the Digicel Foundation reflects a shared belief that meaningful change requires collaboration across sectors—particularly within the tech ecosystem. Through its support of this Challenge, the Digicel Foundation reaffirms its commitment to community development, with a clear goal: to demonstrate how technology, especially artificial intelligence, can deliver practical solutions that improve everyday lives.

The DevExpo Challenge calls on developers, AI specialists (Machine Learning, Data Science), students, tech entrepreneurs, and members of the diaspora to design innovative solutions in key sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, financial inclusion, governance, and the environment. At its core, the initiative is about putting AI to work for people and sustainable development.

The selection process will include an online application phase, a pre-selection round, a pre-incubation stage (including training and mentorship), and a final pitch session during DevExpo on June 6, 2026. Five winning teams will be selected and awarded a total innovation fund of over 5 million gourdes, provided by the Digicel Foundation—including a top prize of 2 million gourdes for the best project. Winning teams will also join a six-month incubation program aimed at turning their prototypes into scalable and sustainable solutions.

Applications are open from February 25 to March 25, 2026.

Application form: https://bit.ly/AIChallengeSocialTech2026
More information: www.devexpo.ht

Press Contact:
Gladimy Jean
gladimy.jean50@gmail.com | +509 3137 4947

About Banj

Banj is Haiti’s largest coworking space and a leading entrepreneurial hub that fosters creativity and connects innovators from diverse backgrounds. Meaning “genius” in Haitian Creole, Banj has built a strong reputation for empowering local and international talent while driving social impact through entrepreneurship and innovation.

Its mission is to create ecosystems that inspire creativity, encourage collaboration, and support economic growth and social change. Since its inception, Banj has connected over 100,000 individuals, generated millions of social media engagements, organized between three to five programs annually and over 500 events, distributed $500,000 in innovation funding, supported 122 projects, delivered 84 specialized training sessions, and contributed to the creation of 300 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs.

About the Digicel Foundation

Established in March 2007, the Digicel Foundation Haiti is dedicated to building a better future for communities by supporting impactful initiatives, with a strong focus on improving access to and the quality of education—from early childhood to primary school.

To date, over $90 million has been invested in building nearly 200 schools, training more than 1,700 teachers and school leaders, and funding over 400 projects that have positively impacted more than 1.3 million people.

At the Digicel Foundation, we invest in sustainable development programs to help build stronger, more resilient communities in the countries where we operate.