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Milken-Motsepe Green Energy Prize

Meet the Finalists: Stories from the Field: Milken-Motsepe Prize in Green Energy

The Milken-Motsepe Prize in Green Energy competition launched at the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit in November 2022. Aiming to reward innovators working to expand access to reliable, affordable, sustainable energy in Africa, more than 160 teams from around the world entered, and 20 semifinalist teams from 36 countries were chosen to prove the effectiveness of their ideas in field tests. Five finalists, including the teams below, were selected to advance in the competition and deploy their technologies in a live demonstration in South Africa in February 2024.

In addition to receiving funds to test their innovations and a variety of special benefits, finalists are competing for the $1 million Grand Prize, which will be announced at the Milken Institute Global Conference in May 2024.

Meet the finalists, and learn more about what inspired them to participate in this one-of-a-kind competition program 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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