The 10 teams advancing to the semifinalist round of the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing have been announced – with each team receiving $50 000 in unrestricted funding to drive inclusive economic growth and sustainable development in Africa.
Semifinalists will present their innovations at the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit in December in Abu Dhabi. A total of $2-million in prizes will be distributed at the event, along with opportunities for global visibility, mentorship, and investor connections.
The prize highlights companies that are revolutionising manufacturing value chains in Africa through artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies.
In Africa alone, AI is projected to add nearly $3-trillion to the continent’s economy between 2024 and 2033. The judges sought established, scalable companies in the manufacturing sector with a track record of over two years of operation in Africa, demonstrating Series A+ traction, and a clear commitment to advancing job growth and workforce development.
“By focusing on AI and manufacturing, this award identifies and supports visionary teams transforming industry with advanced technologies – which has a multiplying effect by creating economic opportunity for communities across Africa,” says Emily Musil, MD at the Milken Institute. “From the semifinalist stage to beyond the prize, we are excited to provide a global platform and network for future-forward entrepreneurs and social impact companies.”
The 10 semifinalist teams will pitch their innovations to a panel of expert judges and investors, who will evaluate them based on commercial viability, operational economics, technological integration, and market scalability in Africa. Five finalists will be selected to advance to the final round.
Following the December pitch event, a $1-million grand prize will be awarded at the 2026 Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, alongside a $250 000 runner-up prize and a $100 000 award for the Most Advanced Use of Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies.
These teams operate in more than 60 countries on five continents, with innovations that hold the potential to revolutionise manufacturing value chains, drive job creation, and ignite breakthroughs across the globe.
The 10 semifinalists for the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Program in AI and Manufacturing are as follows:
BleagLee
Team Lead: Juveline Ngum Ngwa
Based in Cameroon, BleagLee is a waste management and recycling company that uses AI and specialised software to rapidly identify, collect, and transform plastic, agricultural, and electronic waste into high-value inputs like engineered recycled polymers, 3D printing filaments, and bio-based carbon materials.
DataProphet
Team Lead: Ridwaan Seedat
Based in South Africa, DataProphet is an industrial intelligence technology and advisory company providing production intelligence solutions for machine builders and manufacturers.
Digitech Oasis Limited
Team Lead: Ayan Mohamed
Based in the UK, Digitech Oasis is an award‑winning AI and robotics company developing robotic systems and industrial automation platforms to modernise warehouse and fulfillment operations across industries.
Freshpack Technologies
Team Lead: Editha Mshiu
Based in Tanzania, Freshpack Technologies is a cold-storage solution company pioneering AI-powered cooling innovation to reduce food waste for Africa’s informal markets.
GreenBDG Africa
Team Lead: Songo Didiza
Based in South Africa, Green Building Design Group Africa (GreenBDG Africa) is a tech-enabled advisory firm offering climate-smart infrastructure solutions and energy optimisation strategies for real estate and manufacturing clusters.
INDOS
Team Lead: Ahmed Nounou
Based in Egypt, INDOS is an industrial digitisation company transforming labour-intensive manufacturing floors into AI-powered, data-driven environments to boost productivity and drive quality in realtime.
Spiro
Team Lead: Kaushik Burman
Based in the United Arab Emirates, Spiro provides accessible and affordable mobility solutions through manufacturing innovative, eco-friendly electric transportation.
Thola Inc
Team Lead: Nneile Nkholise
Based in the US, Thola is an AI-powered software platform that provides realtime energy monitoring, forecasting, and ESG performance insights to help industrial facilities become insurable, resilient, and grid-conscious.
Torchit
Team Lead: Hunny Bhagchandani
Based in India, Torchit is a social-tech enterprise that designs and manufactures affordable, AI-powered assistive technologies to empower persons with disabilities with mobility, literacy, and digital independence.
Toto Safi Limited
Team Lead: Faith Waraga
Based in Rwanda, Toto Safi is an AI-enabled circular textile manufacturing platform enabling women-led tailoring cooperatives to produce reusable hygiene products such as diapers and period pants at scale.
Now in its fourth year, the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Program has brought together visionary thinkers across sectors – from agriculture to financial technology – equipping them with the capital, resources, and network needed to push their ideas forward. Since launching the prize in 2021, the prize community has grown to over 12 000 innovators and entrepreneurs from 136 countries.