Milken-Motsepe Prize In Green Energy Semi-Finalists Announced
Milken-Motsepe Prize In Green Energy Semi-Finalists Announced. The Milken Institute and the Motsepe Foundation has announced the 20 teams receiving Design Round prizes for the Milken–Motsepe Prize in Green Energy and advancing to the Semifinalist Round. At this stage, each semifinalist team will receive $20,000 to further develop and test their designs anywhere in the world. The semifinalist teams will also have complimentary access to a Stanford Online course to help build their businesses.
The competition will ultimately award US$2 million in total prizes and additional benefits for entrepreneurs who expand access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity in Africa. More than 3,800 people from over 120 countries have registered their interest in the competition, which launched in November 2022. Over 160 of these registrants, representing 36 countries across six continents, submitted technological design and business model proposals. From these proposals, the judges selected the 20 most transformative ideas.
“Access to electricity is vital to transforming societies—from health care to education to economic growth. We are excited to see these semifinalists bringing new ideas to the forefront to light the way to a sustainable future,” said Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, co-founder and CEO of the Motsepe Foundation. “As recently proven by the winners of the Milken–Motsepe Prize in AgriTech, innovators have the power to create transformative solutions to challenges once thought to be impossible. We have no doubt these semifinalists will do the same.”
“The innovation competition encourages entrepreneurs to be creative and expansive,” said Dr. Emily Musil Church, senior director at the Milken Institute’s Center for Strategic Philanthropy. “By allowing field tests anywhere in the world in the first round, the competition allows flexibility for teams to take strategic risks. This is the heart of the innovation competition model: to reward innovators who take bold action.”
