Ten African businesses are among the 100 global finalists for the Entrepreneurship World Cup 2025 (EWC), marking a powerful moment for the continent’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Organised by Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) alongside Saudi Arabia’s Monsha’at and the Misk Foundation, the competition will conclude at the Biban Forum 2025 in Riyadh from 5–8 November at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Convention Centre.
From more than 10,300 applications across 169 countries, 250 start-ups advanced to a virtual bootcamp and finally 100 were selected for the global finals. These 100 represent 46 nations and span 16 sectors, from agritech to SpaceTech, vying for a prize pool exceeding USD 1.5 million. The platform offers more than contest winnings: it opens doors to investor networks, intensive mentorship and access to the Saudi market.
Africa’s moment
The inclusion of ten African start-ups isn’t just a statistical footnote. It’s an indicator of rising innovation capacity on the continent and of global stakeholders taking notice. Below is the list of African finalists and what makes them noteworthy:
- eAgro Pvt Ltd (Zimbabwe) – Founded by Tafadzwa Ronald Chikwereti and Golden Nhunhama, eAgro brings climate-smart agriculture to the fore with a digital suite that includes AI, satellite imagery and a “Crop Fix” smart agronomy tool. The goal is to help farmers adapt to climate change and farm more sustainably.
- NovFeed (Tanzania) – Under CEO Diana Orembe and founder Otaigo Elisha, NovFeed uses biotechnological platforms to convert organic waste into safe, non-animal protein for aquaculture feeds, offering an alternative to fishmeal and soy-based concentrates.
- Bana Med (Egypt) – Led by Mohamed Ehab, Bana Med creates eco-friendly surgical sutures from agricultural waste. The company is also 3rd-place finalist in the ClimateLaunchpad Egypt 2025 National Finals.
- cardoO (Egypt) – A tech brand co-founded by Hassan Ellaithy, cardoO produces smart wearables, VR headsets and connected-home devices. It is expanding across MENA and planning global footprints.
- SYNCHROS (DRC) – Headed by Walter Mboniyimwami, this company targets “spacio-climatic” challenges, offering solutions via drones, IoT, data analytics and machine-learning to sectors such as mining, industry and agriculture.
- MPOST (Rwanda) – Founder and CEO Twahir Mohamed is tackling the fact that over 4 billion people globally lack a verifiable address. MPOST builds a universal digital-address database, “Designed in Africa. Built for the world.”
- Sytemap (Nigeria) – Co-founded by Nnamdi Uba and Ndifreke Ikokpu, Sytemap is reworking real-estate transactions in Nigeria by creating infrastructure for trusted property records and transactions.
- Inclusivity Solutions (South Africa) – Founder and Executive Director Jeremy Leach leads this tech company that aims to close the global insurance gap through digital and embedded insurance solutions. Over 5 million people in Africa are already covered via its platform.
- Rology (Egypt) – Amr Abodraiaa and team use a teleradiology platform with AI-enabled DICOM viewer tools to match hospital cases with radiologists globally, reducing latency in medical reporting.
- Baobaby (Togo) – Co-founders Ida Solitoke and team produce plant-based baby formulas using drought-resilient crops, giving local communities affordable nutrition options with a sustainable twist.
Why this matters
For entrepreneurs and investors alike, several clear takeaways emerge:
- Africa is gathering momentum – These ten start-ups underscore that innovation on the continent is moving beyond small pilot projects into globally competitive ventures.
- Impact meets business – Each of the selected companies addresses a real challenge whether climate adaptation, food security, healthcare access or digital identity, with scalable business models.
- Global platforms amplify reach – By advancing to the EWC finals, these start-ups will gain visibility, investor attention and access to networks that are often clustered outside Africa.
- Signals to ecosystem builders – Governments, incubators and funders across Africa can look at this as empirical proof: local start-ups can compete internationally.
- Entrepreneurs should note the tools – The EWC offers more than prize money: travel, mentorship and a soft-landing program for entry into the Saudi market.
What happens next
The global finals at the Biban Forum in Riyadh provide the stage. With 100 finalists pitching live, the winners will be selected across three stages (Idea, Early, Growth) and additional SpaceTech tracks. African entrepreneurs must now translate visibility into tangible outcomes funding, partnerships and market entry. For those ten, success will mean charting the next growth chapter.
This catalogue of finalists shows what is possible when strong ideas converge with operational rigour and global platforms. If you run or aspire to build a start-up that addresses a genuine need, your venture can be part of the global narrative. But success will demand clarity, scalability and a readiness to engage beyond your home market.
In the rush of headlines, these African start-ups remind us of something fundamental, that entrepreneurship is not just about disruption but is about creating value, meeting real needs and building business models that last. Their inclusion in the Entrepreneurship World Cup signals that the world is starting to pay attention and that Africa’s innovators are ready to deliver.
