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iAfrica: $2M Prize Fund Seeks African AI Innovations in Manufacturing

Global spending on goods and services is projected to exceed $5 trillion in 2025, with manufacturing among the fastest-growing sectors. The industry creates up to 20 jobs per role, supports large labor pools, and draws long-term investment.

As digital technologies reshape global markets, manufacturing is evolving through the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by AI, robotics, nanotech, and 3D printing. Strategic investment in these innovations is essential to unlocking growth and building economic resilience.

To support this transformation, the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Program is offering $2 million to innovators improving African manufacturing value chains through AI. The top prize is $1 million for scalable solutions that boost efficiency and reduce waste.

 

Read the full article by Sean Whitehead here.

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$2 Million Milken-Motsepe Prize Launched to Spur AI-Driven Manufacturing in Africa

A new $2 million equity-free prize program, backed by South African billionaire Dr. Patrice Motsepe and the Milken Institute, is placing artificial intelligence and manufacturing at the heart of Africa’s technology ambitions. Unveiled at the 2025 Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing marks the fourth—and most ambitious—edition in a growing series of innovation challenges designed to tackle Africa’s structural issues through technology. This round turns a sharp focus to artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing—two sectors where African participation has remained limited despite strong global momentum. Read the full article here.

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Launch Base Africa: Billionaire-Funded Program Offers $2m Equity-Free to African AI & Manufacturing Startups

A new $2m equity-free prize programme, backed by South African billionaire Dr. Patrice Motsepe and the Milken Institute, is putting AI and manufacturing at the centre of Africa’s tech ambitions. Announced at the 2025 Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing is the fourth and most ambitious iteration of a growing innovation challenge series focused on solving Africa’s structural challenges through technology. This time, the focus is squarely on artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing — areas that have so far seen only limited African participation despite their global momentum. Read the full article here.

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