The Africas Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition (www.AfricaBusinessHeroes.org), a philanthropic initiative sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy, has announced the grand prize winner of its sixth annual competition, along with the first and second runners-up, at the latest ABH Summit and Grand Finale.The ABH Summit and Grand Finale in Kigali, Rwanda, celebrated the Top 10 finalists, selected from nearly 20,000 applicants to compete for a share of the $1.5 million prize. Under the theme AIAfrican Innovation, Insight and Impact, they pitched their businesses to a live audience and a distinguished judging panel, including Dr. Diane Karusisi, CEO of Bank of Kigali and Ibukun Awosika, Founder of the Chair Centre, who were joined by Fred Swaniker, Founder and CEO of Sand Technologies. The event culminated in the awards ceremony, where the winners were unveiled.The top three Africas Business Heroes for 2024 are:1stwinning US$300,000Henri Ousmane Gueye, Co-founder & CEO, EYONE (https://Eyone.net/) (Senegal)2ndwinning US$250,000Dr. Salma Bougarrani, Co-Founder & CEO, GREEN WATECH (www.GreenWatech.com) (Morocco)3rdwinning US$150,000Alexander Odhiambo, Founder & CEO, Solutech Limited (www.Solutech.co.ke) (Kenya)Commenting on the win, Henri Ousmane Gueye said, I am very proud to be announced as the winner of the 2024 ABH Prize Competition. This achievement is the result of a lot of hard work, and I am incredibly proud of my team. Its a significant milestone for us, and it serves as an encouragement for us to keep working towards solving the problem our innovation addresses. It motivates us to continue tackling the big challenges our country faces.ABH Managing Director - Africa, Zahra Baitie-Boateng highlighted the debut of ABi, ABHs AI co-host, at this years Summit and Grand Finale, noting its role in providing insights, sparking discussions and enhancing connections. She emphasized the ingenuity of the Top 10 finalists, whose impact showcases entrepreneurships power to address Africas challenges. Congratulations to Henri and all our finalists! As we celebrate their success, were excited to launch the 2025 call for applications and continue empowering Africas next business leaders.ABH announced that Rwanda will host the Summit and Grand Finale for the next four years, reinforcing its role as a hub for entrepreneurship. The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB) were recognized as key partners, with Bank of Kigali also supporting the event.A Summit of Entrepreneurial Insights and Thought LeadershipThe two-day ABH Summit and Grand Finale brought together 1,606 participants, showcasing thought leadership and top entrepreneurial talent. Discussions explored how entrepreneurship addresses Africas key challenges in healthcare, agriculture and education. The event featured live podcast recordings, a debate, TED-style ABHx talks, a financing masterclass and interactive experiences like the ABH Heroes Circle business roast and Networking in the Dark, a blindfolded networking session.With over 50 distinguished speakers from 15 countries, the lineup included Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board; Nick Hu, Executive Director of Health Innovation at Sand Technologies; Dr. Brenda Kateera, Country Director at the Clinton Health Access Initiative; Nathalie Munyampenda, CEO of Kepler; and Hasan Haider, Founder & Managing Partner at PlusVC and ABH Semi-Final judge.In her opening keynote, ABH Grand Finale judge Ibukun Awosika emphasized African Intelligence as key to shaping the continents entrepreneurial future. She highlighted purpose-driven leadership, lived experiences and local ingenuity in driving impactful solutions. Africas future will be shaped by those who see challenges as opportunities and take action, she stated.The 2025 ABH Call for ApplicationsThe event closed with the official launch of the 2025 call for applications, inviting African entrepreneurs to apply for the next edition of the competition and stand their chance to win a share of $1.5 million USD. Full details for interested applicants can be found at: https://apo-opa.co/4bucitTDistributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa's Business Heroes (ABH).Media filesDownload logo
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