Grace Ashiru
Ikpeme Neto of WellaHealth, a Nigerian-based digital health insurance company, secured the African Business Heroes Prize, receiving $300,000 for contributing to creating over 123,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly.
Ayman Bazaraa from Sprints (Egypt) secured $150,000, while Thomas Njeru from Pula Advisors (Kenya) was awarded $250,000. From an unprecedented pool of 27,267 applications spanning all 54 African nations, the top three recipients emerged after rigorous interviews and evaluations. Their exceptional resourcefulness and determination have left a lasting impact on their communities and beyond.
The announcement of the winners took place at an AR-enabled Grand Finale in Kigali, Rwanda. A distinguished panel of judges, including Dr. Diane Karusisi, CEO of Bank of Kigali, Ibukun Awosika, Founder and CEO of The Chair Centre Group, and Joe Tsai, Chairman of Alibaba Group, deliberated over pitches from the shortlisted startups.
ABH is not only awarding the three grand prize winners but is also providing a $100,000 prize to the top ten finalists. Additionally, each of the top ten finalists will receive an extra $10,000 for training programs after the tournament.
“I am honored to be named the winner of Africa’s Business Heroes this year. This award strengthens my commitment to driving positive change through innovation. I extend sincere gratitude to ABH for empowering entrepreneurs like me, and I am devoted to shaping a brighter future for our continent through entrepreneurship. I am thrilled for the recognition of Wellahealth Technologies’ work and thankful to my team, family, and the ABH team for enabling this impact in healthcare across Africa,” expressed Ikpeme Neto, CEO and Founder of Wellahealth Technologies, the ABH 2023 First Prize Winner.
The laureates of this year’s ABH competition epitomize audacious ambition and ingenuity, embodying the authentic spirit of entrepreneurship and a profound dedication to addressing societal challenges. The panel of judges commended them for their extraordinary capacity to transform challenges into opportunities, unwavering commitment to community betterment, and innovative approaches to tackling pressing issues. Jason Pau, Executive Director of International Programmes at Jack Ma Foundation, emphasized their resilience, passion, and impactful contributions, hailing them as business leaders and genuine champions of change.
With a collective investment exceeding US$153 million and the satisfaction of over 37.5 million customers or users, the recipients of the ABH Prize Competition grants have achieved remarkable milestones since 2019.
Thanks to the $7 million prize money they secured, this cohort of entrepreneurs has successfully expanded their enterprises to encompass 52 diverse African countries.
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