Africa’s Leading Entrepreneurs Prepare to Pitch in Nairobi

The Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition has announced the 20 entrepreneurs advancing to its 2026 Semi-Final, which will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, on August 21–22. This selection marks a significant milestone for these founders who were chosen from over 24,000 applications representing all 54 African countries.

The Top 20 underwent rigorous evaluation by three-person judging panels assessing leadership, innovation, impact, scalability, and commercial strength. The process included site visits to each company and comprehensive due diligence by PlusVC, ensuring a thorough examination of the businesses beyond their written submissions.

Diverse Cohort Represents Key African Sectors

The 2026 Semi-Final cohort comprises entrepreneurs from 12 African countries across 11 sectors including agritech, healthcare, manufacturing, climate technology, and financial services. Notably, women entrepreneurs make up 40% of the group.

These businesses collectively generated approximately US$85 million in revenue during 2025, demonstrating their significant economic impact. The selected companies include:

• Farah Emara (Egypt) - FreshSource (AgriTech)
• Nour El-Assal (Egypt) - Tagaddod (Renewable Energy)
• Salma Tammam (Egypt) - REME-D (Healthcare)
• Ahmed Shaaban (Egypt) - Simplex (Manufacturing)
• Affiong Williams (Nigeria) - Reelfruit (Manufacturing)
• Kelvin Umechukwu (Nigeria) - Bumpa (Enterprise/SaaS)
• Ikechukwu Anoke (Kenya) - Zuri Health Ltd (HealthTech)
• Naom Monari (Kenya) - Bena Care Limited (HealthTech)
• Joseph Mungai (Kenya) - AceleAfrica Limited (Energy)
• Louisa Gathecha (Kenya) - Bottle Logistics East Africa Ltd (Industrial/ClimateTech)
• Meriem Benabad (Morocco) - Z.6 or Z.SYS INC (Retail/Marketplace)
• Nidal Tafah (Morocco) - MIRRIAH (AgriTech)
• Samson Fentaye (Ethiopia) - Thur Biotech Manufacturing Plc (Agritech)
• Jess Roussos (South Africa) - BluLever Education Pty Ltd (EdTech)
• David Kamugundu (Rwanda) - eFiche Ltd (HealthTech)
• Joseph Paul (Tanzania) - Dawa Mkononi (HealthTech)
• Gildas Zodome (Benin) - Bio Phyto (Agritech)
• Appessika Adanin Laurent Koffi (Côte d’Ivoire) - Green Agro Valley (Agritech)
• Hagasata Rakotoson (Madagascar) - Solidis S.A (FinTech)
• Rodney Kofi Kyei (Ghana) - Crux Global Limited (Media & Entertainment)

Beyond the Competition: Investment and Partnership Opportunities

The 2026 Semi-Final will also serve as a marketplace for ideas, relationships, and capital. A larger investor audience is expected to attend, creating direct engagement opportunities between entrepreneurs and potential funders from across Africa and beyond.

In addition, participants will have access to the second edition of ABH’s Hangzhou learning and market-access trip in China (September 14–18), further extending program support beyond the competition itself. The event aims to connect founders with Alibaba executives, industry experts, and potential partners.

The Nairobi Semi-Final marks a return to the city where the ABH program first launched, recognizing its emergence as a key technology and entrepreneurship hub in Africa.