Salutes a startup that inspires the next generation of founders by positively impacting the economy and the world in general. It should be a product and/or service that is already a success on the market, disrupting its industry with an innovative approach.

Category Criteria:
The startup must have a maximum of 5 years in age (calculated from establishment date until public nominations open).

General Criteria

Acknowledges a startup of up to two years in age with the potential to become Startup of the Year in the future. Its product and/or service should already be on the market and on a path to disrupt its industry and positively impact the economy and the world.

Category Criteria:
The startup must have maximum of 2 years in age (calculated from establishment date until public nominations open).

General Criteria

Will go to a startup founder or co-founder who has shown strong leadership skills and achieved exceptional business results while also being an inspiration to their team and a role model for the next generation of founders.

Category Criteria:
The individual must be a founder or co-founder of a startup with a maximum of 5 years in age (calculated from establishment date until public nominations open).

General Criteria

Honours the Venture Capitalist who has created impressive financial results while investing bravely in innovative companies that can positively impact the economy and the world, supporting them with resources other than purely financial.

Category Criteria:
The VC must be established in the country which is participating in the competition.

General Criteria

Recognises a fixed-term, cohort-based, mentorship-driven program that helps and empowers entrepreneurs to foster the growth of their innovative companies by providing tools, resources, connections, knowledge and expertise.

Category Criteria:
The Accelerator/Incubator Program must be established in the country which is participating in the competition.

General Criteria

Is bestowed on a co-working space that deserves recognition for the services, support, and resources it gives to fast-growth startups, and for creating a culture and an environment that fosters innovation.

Category Criteria:
The co-working space must be established in the country which is participating in the competition.

General Criteria

Celebrates the startup that is enabling Africa’s industrialisation with innovative solutions for logistics, mobility and supply chain management.

Category Criteria:
The startup must be providing innovative solutions in the fields of logistics, mobility or supply chain management

General Criteria

Is awarded to innovative solutions in food security, food production, farming methods and nutrition.

Category Criteria:
The startup must be agriculture and/or food and/or nutrition-focused and must be providing a solution in those markets.

General Criteria

Acknowledges the startup connecting Africa by enabling commerce using technologies ranging from mobile-commerce, e-commerce, blockchain, and cryptocurrency, to fintech, insurtech and big data.

Category Criteria:
The startup must focus on solving a problem or improving a solution in the e-commerce, mobile-commerce, blockchain, cryptocurrency, fintech, insurtech or big data markets.

General Criteria

An individual known by its passion for entrepreneurship and ability as well as willingness to help startups and entrepreneurship grow.

Category Criteria:
The individual must perform their activity in the country that they are participating in.

General Criteria

Short for Education technology, this category celebrates startups with a combination of IT tools and educational practices aimed at facilitating and enhancing learning.

Category Criteria:
The startup must make use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning.

General Criteria

A startup with a good business model that has a green impact on the world with its product and/or service that reduces energy consumption, creates renewable energy and/or makes process optimization.

Category Criteria:
The product and or service needs to fall into one of the following areas; energy saving, renewable energy or resource optimization.

General Criteria

A startup that is on the path to disrupt the healthcare industry through the use of technology and by developing new business models improving the lives of patients. The startup’s product and/or service is already showing early traction on the market.

Category Criteria:
The product and or service has to fall under one or more of these areas: Clinical efficiency, Patient engagement, Medical devices, Digital health, Predictive analytics, New technology solution, Fitness and wellness.

General Criteria

An individual who is known for their outstanding achievements and contribution to the mission of empowering more women and/or members of underrepresented groups to become founders, investors and leaders in their local and/or international startup and innovation ecosystem.

Category Criteria:
The individual leads a specific organization and/or an activity to promote and enable more women and/or members of underrepresented groups to become professionals in the startup and innovation ecosystem.

General Criteria

A startup with an innovative addition to the global Web 3.0 Scene that incorporates decentralization, blockchain technologies, and token-based economics at the core of its added value, in addition to a commitment to increased data security, scalability, and enhanced privacy.

Category Criteria:
The product and or service needs to contain one of the following technologies: Smart contracts, Blockchain solutions, Crypto wallets, Tokenisation and NFTs, AI / Machine Learning.

General Criteria