Entrepreneurs from Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa took the top spots at the grand finale of the 7th Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition, held in Kigali, Rwanda. This exciting event, known as a major pitchfest for African startups, showcased innovative ideas that could change lives across the continent.
The winner was Diana Orembe from Tanzania. She is the co-founder and CEO of NovFeed, a biotechnology company that makes sustainable protein for animal and fish feed using lab-grown methods. Her innovation helps farmers reduce costs and protect the environment.
Coming in second was Adriaan Kruger from South Africa, founder of nuvoteQ, a healthtech company that makes clinical trials and medical research easier with digital tools.
Third place went to Abraham Mbuthia from Kenya, who runs Uzapoint Technologies, providing digital tools to help small businesses grow and manage their operations better.
The ABH competition is run by Alibaba Philanthropy, inspired by Alibaba founder Jack Ma. This year, it received over 32,000 applications from all 54 African countries – the highest number ever. After tough rounds, including semi-finals in Dakar, Senegal, ten finalists from seven countries made it to Kigali.
The two-day summit, themed “Defining Africa’s Future Today,” brought together more than 1,000 people, including entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders. There were masterclasses, discussions, live pitches, and networking sessions. Rwanda hosted the event in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board, marking the third year in a row Kigali has been the venue.
The top three winners shared grants: $300,000 for first place, $250,000 for second, and $150,000 for third. The other seven finalists each got $100,000. In total, $1.5 million in grant money was given out to support these businesses.
The other top 10 finalists included innovators from Rwanda, Senegal, Egypt, Cameroon, and more from Kenya and Tanzania. Their ideas covered areas like transport, baby nutrition, textiles, food supply, and telemedicine.
Judges included Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang, who praised Kigali as a hub for Africa’s future. He said the continent is not just catching up but building new paths forward.
This event highlights how African entrepreneurs are solving big problems in agriculture, health, technology, and more. With support like ABH grants, training, and networks, these “business heroes” are set to make a bigger impact in the years ahead.
