African startups have claimed top honours at the 15th edition of the Orange Social Ventures Prize (OSVP), securing a total of EUR 80K (USD 92K) in recognition of their innovative solutions promoting inclusion and sustainability across the continent.
Leading the charge was Sand to Green, a Moroccan agritech startup, which won the EUR 25K (USD 29K) grand prize for its regenerative agroforestry platform. This groundbreaking initiative transforms desert land into productive green farms, offering a sustainable solution to both environmental and economic challenges in arid regions.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) E-Blood Bank Makila captured second place with a prize of EUR 15K (USD 17K). The platform digitizes blood donations through hospitals, drones, and mobile payments, improving accessibility to vital blood supplies in remote areas.
In third place was Ivory Coast’s N’Zassa Fund, which took home EUR 10K (USD 12K). This innovative micro-donation app uses gamification to encourage contributions to local NGOs, making charitable giving both fun and impactful.
Tunisia’s Proverdy earned the prestigious EUR 20K Women’s Prize for its AI-driven platform, which helps businesses measure and reduce their carbon emissions, contributing significantly to environmental sustainability.
Botswana’s Maarifa, which developed an AI-powered personalized learning tool, won the EUR 10K Coup de Coeur Prize, further cementing the role of technology in transforming education across Africa.
Launched in 2011 by Orange, the OSVP competition continues to spotlight Africa’s most promising entrepreneurs who are driving positive change in the areas of social inclusion and environmental sustainability.
