After winning the African leg of the Global Startup Awards (GSA), fifteen startups, organizations, and individuals will move on to the global final.
The 15 African winners of the Global Startup Awards (GSA) Africa Finale, which was recently held in Cape Town, South Africa, were announced by GSA Africa in partnership with the Global Innovation Initiative Group (GIIG).
The winners this year represented a variety of industries and came from eight African countries: South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Morocco, and Zambia.
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.
In addition to gaining international recognition and increased visibility to investors, the African winners will now have the chance to represent their continent at the Global Startup Awards Grand Finale and network with the extended GSA network of top industry experts and founders.
