Africa’s entrepreneurs continue to attract global recognition for building businesses that solve real social and economic challenges. This year, 13 African founders are among the 30 recipients of the 2025 Acumen Angels Awards, securing a share of $1.2 million in funding to expand solutions that improve agriculture, clean energy, education, financial inclusion, justice and workforce development. Their selection reflects growing confidence in African enterprises that combine commercial sustainability with measurable social impact.
Since launching in 2018, Acumen Angels has awarded $5.9 million to 128 early-stage organisations globally. Together, these organisations have reached more than 27 million people, created over 106,000 jobs, served more than 883,000 paying customers and raised more than $54 million in follow-on investment.
This year, the 30 awardees will share a combined $1.2 million to help grow their organisations and deepen their impact. The 2025 cohort also includes five Angels Climate Tech Africa awardees, supported in collaboration with EY and ServiceNow, to accelerate climate technology innovation across the continent. Across the wider cohort, the selected enterprises are strengthening food systems, expanding access to education and justice, increasing financial inclusion and creating new economic opportunities for underserved communities.
African entrepreneurs driving practical solutions
BEYAN FLOMO PEWEE of Liberia’s Sappimah Cassava Refining Company is strengthening the country’s cassava value chain by turning raw cassava into higher-value products such as garri and cassava flour. The business purchases cassava directly from more than 200 smallholder farmers, helping reduce post-harvest losses while increasing farmer incomes and improving national food security. Its products are already available in supermarkets across Liberia. The funding will support export expansion, the launch of new cassava products and stronger farmer supply networks.
DENISH OGWANG of Uganda’s Fidena Agri Uganda Ltd is helping smallholder farmers improve productivity through certified organic fertilizers and pesticides made from organic waste. The company has already reached nearly 7,000 farmers by combining affordable climate-smart farming inputs with agricultural training that improves soil health and crop yields. The new funding will help secure manufacturing licences, increase production, attract additional investment and expand services to as many as 50,000 farmers.
EHIME EIGBE, founder of Nigeria’s Sweetkiwi, is building a stronger local dairy industry by connecting more than 5,000 pastoralists, 60 percent of them women, to reliable markets. Through its Kinship Model, the company offers fair pricing, training and market access while producing premium cultured dairy products from locally sourced milk. This approach strengthens Nigeria’s dairy value chain, improves livelihoods and supports food security. The funding will help Sweetkiwi transition from small-scale production to a larger dairy factory.
NYIFAMU MANZO leads Nigeria’s Farmatrix Agro Allied and Technology Company Ltd, which uses technology to connect more than 8,000 smallholder farmers and aggregators with storage facilities, reliable markets and climate-smart farming support. Through its digital marketplace and community warehouse network, Farmatrix reduces post-harvest losses while improving farmers’ incomes and agricultural trade. The investment will fund additional warehouses and upgrades to its mobile marketplace platform to increase trade volumes and reach more farmers.
REJOICE AMARACHI USIM, founder of Nigeria’s Simkay Foods Limited, is addressing post-harvest losses by combining precision farming, guaranteed markets and solar-powered drying technology. The company converts surplus vegetables into shelf-stable food products, creating additional income opportunities for farmers while reducing food waste. Simkay has already supported 60,000 farmers across several Nigerian states. The funding will be used to deploy solar-powered drones for precision farming and expand the use of solar dryers.
RICHARD OBUKU of Uganda’s River Poultry Farms is improving poultry farming through artificial intelligence, veterinary support and digital market access. The company has helped nearly 4,000 farmers and conducted more than 90,000 veterinary visits by connecting producers with trained para-veterinarians and AI-powered disease diagnosis tools. The funding will expand its AI veterinary platform, train more para-veterinarians and extend services to thousands of additional farmers.
Building stronger communities through innovation
KRUPA PATEL, founder of Tanzania’s SilverLeaf Academy, is addressing teacher shortages by combining affordable schools with a Talent Academy that trains educators using practical experience and technology. The organisation currently serves about 1,400 students and teachers while improving education quality across Tanzania. The funding will support the development of an AI-powered teacher training platform that can expand educator development nationwide.
CELESTE TCHETGEN VOGEL, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kenya’s eWAKA Mobility, is creating green jobs through electric cargo bikes, rider training, financing and fleet management technology. More than 1,000 riders have already joined the platform, increasing incomes while improving last-mile logistics and reducing emissions across East Africa. The funding will expand its Rider Training Centre, improve rider onboarding, reduce loan defaults and unlock additional financing.
JUSTINE ABUGA, founder of Kenya’s Ecobora, is helping rural schools reduce energy costs through solar-powered cookstoves that replace firewood while supporting nutritious school meals. The technology has already benefited about 170,000 students across more than 170 schools by lowering fuel costs and reducing emissions. The new funding will introduce smart monitoring systems that allow schools to generate carbon credits and create long-term financial sustainability.
GEOFFREY OMODING of Uganda’s Patapia is providing digital microfinance and clean energy financing tailored to refugee women entrepreneurs. By combining entrepreneurship training, digital loans and solar financing, the organisation has already issued more than 1,600 loans that help women build sustainable businesses and improve household incomes. The funding will support expansion into more refugee settlements while strengthening its digital lending platform.
DERRICK KOFI SARFO, founder of Ghana’s DercolBags Packaging Limited, is replacing imported single-use plastics with locally produced recycled packaging solutions. The business has already served more than 520 companies across two countries while supporting recycling networks and reducing plastic waste. The investment will fund the development of the WatPak digital platform, connecting waste collectors, recyclers and businesses within a circular packaging ecosystem.
MIRIAM WACHIRA, founder of Kenya’s Justice Nest, is expanding access to justice by training incarcerated people and prison officers as paralegals. Through prison-based legal aid offices, the organisation has supported nearly 1,000 incarcerated individuals and contributed to more than 179 successful releases by helping people navigate legal processes more efficiently. The funding will expand these programmes while introducing digital systems to manage legal cases and support reintegration.
JUDE ABAGA, founder of Nigeria’s TASCK Creative Company, is building digital infrastructure that connects Africa’s growing creative workforce with verified training, collaboration and paid work opportunities. Since 2020, the company has built a community of more than 25,000 creatives and facilitated over $1.5 million in payments through its AI-powered platform and community hubs. The funding will strengthen its technology by automating contracts, project management and payments, making it easier for creatives to secure reliable work and income.
The strong representation of 13 African entrepreneurs in this year’s Acumen Angels Awards demonstrates the continent’s growing influence in developing practical, scalable solutions to local challenges. With fresh funding and global support, these businesses are well positioned to create more jobs, strengthen local economies, improve essential services and deliver lasting social and economic impact across Africa.
