To aid a cleaner world, the award, now in its second year, helps scale start-ups addressing Africa’s energy challenges.

Run by Octopus with support from the Sustainable Markets Initiative and Nigeria-based Salpha Energy, the awards will select three winners that will receive a grant to help scale their product development and deployment, plus access to a mentorship programme and other resources. Last year's winners tackled solar irrigation, mini-grid management and more.

To enter, businesses must be based in Sub-Saharan Africa, founded no more than five years ago and have fewer than 20 full-time employees.

With some of the world’s best solar and wind resources, Africa is well placed to become a global clean energy powerhouse. Green energy has already created 344,000 jobs across the continent and IRENA predict that number could rise to as many as 7.9 million by 2030.

Onimisi Charles Atere, founder of Nimsy Agro Solar Concept, winner of the 2025 award said: “With last year’s grant funding, we developed and piloted a first-of-its-kind solar irrigation reservoir in Giwa LGA in the Kaduna State in Nigeria. It enables smallholder farmers without access to surface water to irrigate their farms, grow food year-round, improving their productivity and livelihoods. The award has opened up new opportunities and networks, positioning us for greater impact and scale.”

The awards come as Octopus has been expanding its activity in Africa. With its Power Africa Initiative, it has ambitions to catalyse $450m into clean energy investment on the continent. Octopus is also currently building Sierra Leone’s first-ever wind farm on Sherbro Island with Idris Elba’s Elba Hope Foundation, bringing clean, reliable power to underserved homes and businesses.

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