Case Competition · 2026

The companies behind the cases. And the problems they brought.

Every case is built with one startup, solving a problem it's actually facing. Below: the companies, the challenges, and what their teams said about the experience.

2024 Winter Competition

Kapsule

Healthcare data infrastructure for emerging markets

Challenge Design a global expansion strategy into India, Indonesia, and Brazil while maintaining affordability and data quality

Industry Health Data Infrastructure

Solution Focus Scaling the proven African model into new regulatory environments while preserving impact

Founded 2018 · kapsuletech.com

8,000+ healthcare facilities

30M+ patient records

8 African countries

Fortune 500 clients

CaseCatalyst did outstanding work for Kapsule. They quickly absorbed complex context about our business and assembled a team of interns who were sharp, thoughtful, and clearly committed to finding the best solutions. Their analysis directly informed how we think about geographic expansion and surfaced actionable opportunities we hadn't considered. I would recommend CaseCatalyst to any startup that wants a fresh, intelligent, and unbiased look at their business to identify real growth opportunities.

David Chen · Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Kapsule

2025 Summer Competition

Curacel

Y Combinator

Building the digital rails of African insurance

Challenge Expand into North Africa and the Middle East, leveraging LLMs for enhanced automation and decision-making

Industry Insurance Infrastructure & AI

Solution Focus Enhancing automation while staying compliant with local data-hosting and regulatory requirements

Founded 2019 · curacel.co

$300M+ claims processed

25+ insurers

5,000+ providers

70% faster claims

This edition of the CaseCatalyst competition was truly remarkable. Watching high school students propose innovative solutions to real challenges at Curacel was inspiring. Beyond the ideas themselves, they presented thoughtful implementation plans and identified potential bottlenecks with impressive clarity. It's a strong testament to the quality of work CaseCatalyst is driving.

Jesutomiwa Salam · Senior Engineering Lead, Curacel

I am truly grateful to CaseCatalyst for organizing this year's high school case competition. The competition gave students a platform to explore how AI can shape the future of insurance, and the level of insight and bold thinking they brought was remarkable. It gives me great confidence in the next generation of leaders who will shape financial services in the years ahead.

Daniel Esuga · Senior Product Manager, Curacel

2025 Winter Competition

Kinaya Ventures

Bridging learning and entrepreneurship across Francophone Africa

Challenge Act as strategic consultants for The Experts — an AI-powered learning platform designed to close the learning-to-earning gap in Francophone West Africa

Industry Venture Building, Corporate Innovation & Talent Development

Solution Focus Market strategy, localization, impact measurement, go-to-market execution, and working prototype of a key platform feature

Founded 2018 · kinayaventures.com

50,000+ learners trained

11 African countries

275 work placements

35 startups supported

43% women-led

"Thank you and congratulations to the CaseCatalyst & Build Learning Team for the organizaition of this innovation competition!!!"

Laissa Mouen · Founder, Kinaya Ventures

A startup with a real problem to put on a case?

We work with one startup per season. If you're a founder building in an emerging market, we'd like to hear from you.

Get in touch