Fifteen startups, organisations and individuals have been named winners at the African leg of the Global Startup Awards (GSA), and will now proceed to the global final.
Global Startup Awards (GSA) Africa, in collaboration with the Global Innovation Initiative Group (GIIG), revealed the 15 African winners at the GSA Africa Finale held in Cape Town, South Africa recently.
This year’s winners hailed from eight African nations – South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, and Zambia – and represent a wide array of industries.
Below are the winners across 15 categories:
- Women in Tech: Anna Ekeledo (Nigeria) – executive director of AfriLabs, a network of over 450 tech hubs in 53 countries.
- Accelerator/Incubator Programme: OceanHub Africa (South Africa) – Advancing ocean-impact solutions for sustainable development.
- Best Green Tech: Octavia Carbon (Kenya) – Pioneering geothermal-integrated DAC technology to combat climate change.
- Youth Startup of the Year: Ultrateb (Egypt) – Revolutionising healthcare e-commerce to improve efficiency and access.
- Founder of the Year: Bethelhem Dejene (Ethiopia) – Championing environmental sustainability through Zafree Papers.
- Best AgriTech: Winich Farms (Nigeria) – Enabling rural smallholder farmers with commerce infrastructure and embedded finance.
- Startup of the Year: SeaH4 PTY Ltd (South Africa) – Creating biofuels and e-fuels from seaweed and green hydrogen.
- Best Coworking Space: Silikin Village (DRC) – Empowering startups through talent development and innovation.
- Best Health Tech: Pharmarun (Nigeria) – Connecting patients to medications through an on-demand platform.
- Best FinTech: Chari (Morocco) – Providing embedded e-commerce and financial services to small stores.
- Best Newcomer: Mytochondria Group (Zambia) – Revolutionizing agriculture with smart soil sensors.
- Best Mobility & Logistics: Loop (South Africa) – Bridging formal and informal markets with innovative transport solutions.
- Ecosystem Hero of the Year: Dr. Eng. Nabil Shalaby (Egypt)– A prolific author and advocate for entrepreneurship.
- Investor of the Year: EdVentures (Egypt) – Driving innovation in education and learning solutions.
- GIIG Future Shaper: Medref Healthbridge Solutions (Uganda) – Ensuring healthcare is accessible and where every child has a chance to thrive.
The African winners now have the opportunity to advance to the global stage, representing the continent at the Global Startup Awards Grand Finale, where they will gain global recognition and amplified visibility to investors, and connect with the extended GSA network of leading industry experts and founders.
