Africa’s Business Heroes Names Top 50 Finalists in $1.5M 2025 Prize Competition
A record-breaking year for participation and regional representation, Alibaba Philanthropy’s flagship philanthropic initiative, Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH), has revealed the top 50 finalists for its US$1.5 million 2025 competition.
The Jack Ma Foundation’s principal African philanthropy endeavor is Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH). It helps forward-thinking businesspeople in all 54 African nations who are creating sustainable and inclusive economies.
ABH will identify 100 entrepreneurs over the course of ten years and provide them with training, grant financing, and a platform to share their experiences. The top 10 finalists vie for a portion of US$1.5 million in a televised pitch finale every year.
With submissions from all 54 African nations, ABH received 32,000 applications this year, the most in the competition’s history. For the competition’s seventh iteration, fifty startups have been chosen as finalists.
They come from 17 different nations and cover 16 different sectors. Of them, 36% are women, and 10% are Francophone business owners. The Top 50 will take part in the ABH Virtual Bootcamp, a rigorous training program with workshops run by ecosystem experts, investors, and ABH Heroes, as part of the competition’s next phase. Building resilient teams, being prepared for investments, using AI, and using digital marketing for expansion are some of the topics that will be covered.
“The 2025 ABH Prize has raised the bar, yet again. We are seeing greater depth, diversity, and innovation across the span of applications,” said Zahra Baitie-Boateng, managing director for Africa at ABH. “This record-breaking year speaks to the relevance of ABH in every corner of the continent. These 50 finalists are solving real problems with global potential, and we’re excited to amplify their work.”
The top 50 will gain access to a vibrant network of ABH Heroes, alumni, and partners in addition to training and coaching. Following a second round of evaluations that includes in-depth interviews with ABH round two judges, 22 entrepreneurs will be selected to participate in PlusVC-led due diligence. Before traveling to Dakar for the semi-finale in September, the top 20 finalists will be announced in August.
The top 10 finalists from Dakar will advance to the final round in Kigali in December, where they will vie for a portion of the US$1.5 million in grant money and be named this year’s Africa’s Business Heroes.
Click here to find out more about the competition and the 2025 ABH Top 50 finalists.
