Governments
Make invention a national priority and remove the barriers inventors face.
- You bring
- Fee reductions, procurement pilots, policy support
- You gain
- Local jobs, new firms, a broader tax base and a stronger patent office
A university campus, where ideas beginAI-generated image
A world of creators needs everyone.
Governments, civil society, universities, companies, the diasporas and every woman and man: here is how each of you can carry inventors forward, in one region or across the network.
Inventors cannot do it alone.
With governments, civil society and every woman and man behind them, and strong support networks around them, the developing world can take a leading role in invention.
We are regions of creators. Every partner turns that into results.
Every member works through institutions that already exist: patent offices, universities, hubs, companies, community groups and media. Each brings what it does best, and each sees its results published every year.
Find your place.
Patent offices
Help inventors file correctly the first time, and at lower cost.
- You bring
- Training, fast-track or reduced fees, referrals
- You gain
- Better-prepared applications and more local filings
Universities and hubs
Become a member hub for intake days, prototyping and national prize rounds.
- You bring
- Space, laboratories, mentors and students
- You gain
- Visibility, research partnerships and spin-offs
Civil society
Reach inventors no website can reach: rural youth, women, people with disabilities.
- You bring
- Community trust, outreach and radio partners
- You gain
- A free route to market for the people you serve
Companies
Take the First Buyer pledge: pilot one invention from the network each year.
- You bring
- Pilots, engineering support and supply chains
- You gain
- New products, suppliers and licences
Diasporas
Mentor, invest and open doors in the countries where you now live.
- You bring
- Expertise, networks and capital
- You gain
- A direct way to build the regions you come from
Media and creators
Tell inventors' stories and help Crown the Creators reach every home.
- You bring
- Airtime, channels and storytelling
- You gain
- Original stories and new audiences
Foundations and development finance
Seed Patent Fee Funds, sponsor prize categories and fund new members.
- You bring
- Grants and blended finance
- You gain
- Measurable impact, published every year
What we promise every partner.
Inventors first
No partner may take ownership of an invention as a condition of support.
No hidden terms
Every agreement, fee and success share is disclosed in writing.
Published results
Partners see the results of their contribution in the annual report.
Shared credit
With their consent, partners are named in every member they help to open.
Partner in one region, or across the network.
For a partnership with one member, contact that member through its site. For network-wide partnerships, sponsorship of the World Final or support to open a new member, contact the coordinating office.
Coordinating office5150 E Pacific Coast Hwy, 2nd Floor, Long Beach, CA 90804, USA · By appointment
Telephone+1 510-902-8741
Mailing address6285 E Spring St, #516, Long Beach, CA 90808, USA
Help open the next member in your region.
Where are you building?
Inventors, investors and partners are welcomed by the member that serves their region. Choose yours to submit an invention, register investor interest or offer support.
KuumbaAfrica and the diasporaAdelanteLatin America & the CaribbeanAageSouth AsiaMajuSoutheast AsiaAlgaCentral Asia & the CaucasusVakaPacific Islands
No idea or prototype is too small. Members other than Kuumba · Africa Inventions open submissions as their founding partners are confirmed; you may register your interest with them now.
Unsure which member serves you? Call the coordinating office: +1 510-902-8741
Every invention began with a question.
How do we solve a problem that keeps returning in our lives or in our communities? How do we improve a solution that exists but still falls short? Most of history's great inventions began there.
- 01Ask
What problem could you solve today? Which existing invention or solution could you make better, cheaper, safer or easier to use?
- 02Write it down
Set out the problem and your idea on paper, with a sketch if you can. Date it and keep it. A written idea can be tested, improved and protected.
- 03Contact us
When you believe you have the solution, or even part of it, submit it through the member for your region. We will help you with the rest.
Three questions to start your notebook
- What wastes time, money or energy in your home, farm, school or business every week?
- What tool or service almost works, but fails the people who need it most?
- What problem do people around you simply accept because no one has fixed it?
No one will build our future for us.
No one else will solve our problems, transform our raw materials, or invent and create in our place. The time has come to stop waiting for others and to act, starting today.
- Solve a problem.
- Propose a solution.
- Build what comes next.
Every problem we solve brings us closer to well-being and a better future for the generations that follow.