As the year draws to a close, it is time to pause and reflect on the past year. What did we really build this year? Looking back at the year through the lens of cohorts and partnerships at Tech4Dev, it feels both far-reaching and fulfilling.
The second half of 2025 took shape around two cohort programs, each distinct in its rhythm and revelations.
Data Catalyst Program
The first was the Data Catalyst Program, where we worked closely with 13 NGOs to tackle their data challenges. This wasn’t about dashboards for the sake of dashboards, but about helping teams make sense of the data they already had, turning scattered numbers into something usable, something that could actually inform decisions on the ground.
AI Cohort Program
The second was the AI Cohort Program, which felt like stepping onto an open field with a compass, but no fixed path. It was our first time running an AI-focused cohort, and that freedom allowed us to experiment, test assumptions, and learn in real time. We worked with 7 NGOs to explore their AI-related challenges, co-design solutions, and pilot them with users. Watching ideas travel from early, half-formed conversations to working pilots was quite powerful. As the cohort wrapped up, we also found ourselves asking a forward-looking question: what does it look like to continue this journey together, beyond the cohort?
Sharing and learning with the ecosystem
Running alongside these cohorts was another equally important stream of work: being present in ecosystem spaces like workshops, convenings, long conversations with others in the social sector. Over time, one thing became very clear: the real work isn’t just about building solutions. It’s about building for the ecosystem, not in silos. Answering questions like:
How do we share what we already know?
How do we learn from each other without reinventing the wheel?
How do we collaborate, instead of competing?
Being in these rooms mattered. It led to collaborations, peer learning, and shared problem-solving. Sometimes, it simply offered reassurance that many of us are facing similar challenges, and that if we leaned into our collective strengths, a lot of these problems are actually solvable together. Often, being in the right room at the right time meant meeting someone working on a similar problem, or encountering work that was deeply inspiring. More than anything, it helped us stay grounded in reality.
But these spaces held something beyond agendas and action items, something that flickered quietly between the words. We were all drawn to similar causes, each of us carrying a spark that nudged us to give back, to pay forward the privilege we’ve received, and to share what we know.
In those spaces, we became mirrors for each other’s light. Listening to people speak about their journeys into the development sector was deeply inspiring. Every story, every challenge shared and worked through together, added kindling. This went far beyond networking. It was inspiration drawn from one another, a gentle reassurance that we were on the right path, and a sense of community and togetherness that is truly priceless.
A few personal takeaways stood out for me this year.
First: Collaboration beats competition, every single time. Progress accelerates when we’re willing to say, “I’ve already tried this, here’s what worked and what didn’t,” or “I’m completely stuck here, can you help me think through this?” The development sector thrives when we stop protecting our intellectual territory and start building on collective wisdom.
Second: Human connection is a long game, but it starts small. Relationships are a long game, but they often begin in the simplest ways. It can be a small conversation, a genuine question or a moment of curiosity. Those moments can travel much farther than we expect and often lead to outcomes far bigger than the conversation itself.
Third: Curiosity is a strategic advantage. Staying curious about the sector, about people, about what’s working and what’s not. Curiosity doesn’t slow progress but sharpens it. It keeps the work honest and the learning alive.
Sharing a short summary of the events we held and a rough number of interactions we had with organisations throughout 2025. None of this work happens in a vacuum. We’re deeply grateful to the NGOs who trusted us, the mentors who gave generously their time, the partners who collaborated openly, and the many conversations that shaped how we think and work. This year reinforced a simple belief for us: when we connect, collaborate, and stay curious, impact doesn’t just add up but it compounds.
