LIST | Here Are the 15 Leaders and Startups from Africa Feted for the 2025 Global Startup Awards

The 15 leading startups, organizations, and individuals have been named winners in the African segment of the Global Startup Awards (GSA).

Representing 8 African nations, these innovators will advance to the global finals, a major step toward achieving international acclaim.

The winners were announced at the GSA Africa Finale, held in Cape Town, South Africa, in collaboration with the Global Innovation Initiative Group (GIIG). The 2024 honorees come from:

• South Africa
• Ethiopia
• Kenya
• Egypt
• Nigeria
• The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
• Morocco, and
• Zambia

Below are the honorees:

• Women in Tech: Anna Ekeledo (Nigeria) – Executive Director of AfriLabs, a network spanning 450+ tech hubs in 53 countries.
• Accelerator/Incubator Programme: OceanHub Africa (South Africa) – Driving sustainable ocean-impact solutions.
• Best Green Tech: Octavia Carbon (Kenya) – Innovators in geothermal-integrated direct air capture (DAC) technology to tackle climate change.
• Youth Startup of the Year: Ultrateb (Egypt) – Transforming healthcare e-commerce for greater efficiency and accessibility.
• Founder of the Year: Bethelhem Dejene (Ethiopia) – Promoting environmental sustainability through Zafree Papers.
• Best AgriTech: Winich Farms (Nigeria) – Empowering smallholder farmers with commerce infrastructure and embedded finance.
• Startup of the Year: SeaH4 PTY Ltd (South Africa) – Pioneering biofuels and e-fuels using seaweed and green hydrogen.
• Best Coworking Space: Silikin Village (DRC) – Supporting startups with innovation and talent development.
• Best Health Tech: Pharmarun (Nigeria) – On-demand platform connecting patients to medications.
• Best FinTech: Chari (Morocco) – Providing embedded e-commerce and financial services to small businesses.
• Best Newcomer: Mytochondria Group (Zambia) – Innovating agriculture with smart soil sensors.
• Best Mobility & Logistics: Loop (South Africa) – Bridging formal and informal markets with transformative transport solutions.
• Ecosystem Hero of the Year: Dr. Eng. Nabil Shalaby (Egypt) – Advocate for entrepreneurship and prolific author.
• Investor of the Year: EdVentures (Egypt) – Supporting innovation in education and learning.
• GIIG Future Shaper: Medref Healthbridge Solutions (Uganda) – Ensuring healthcare access for children and underserved communities.

The winners advance to the Global Startup Awards Grand Finale, where they will compete on a global stage, gaining heightened visibility and access to potential investor connections.

This opportunity also embeds them into the broader GSA network, connecting them with industry leaders and innovators worldwide.

In 2024, Momint from South Africa was officially titled the Global Startup Awards Winner for Best Web3.0 & AI Startup at the Global Grand Finale, hosted in Istanbul, Turkey.