Editor’s note: African-Startups is a sister publication of EU-Startups, bringing trusted coverage of startups, venture capital, and innovation across Africa.
BleagLee, a Cameroonian startup using artificial intelligence to tackle the country’s growing waste crisis, has emerged as the top winner of the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing.
As the grand prize winner, the African startup is walking away with $1 million from a competition that drew applications from more than 2,000 entrepreneurs across 100 countries and five continents, with only 10 making it through as semifinalists.
The Cameroonian startup was not the only company to take home prize money. Tanzania-based Freshpack Technologies received a $250,000 runner-up prize for its AI-powered cold storage solution that addresses food waste across Africa, while Digitech Oasis Limited from the United Kingdom was awarded $100,000 for the most advanced use of 4IR, for demonstrating technological capabilities expected to shape competitive manufacturing over the next decade.
Additional interim prizes totalling $750,000 were shared among five finalists, each receiving $30,000, and ten semifinalists, each receiving $50,000, throughout the prize cycle. All awards are unrestricted, allowing teams to direct funds toward the areas of greatest impact for their businesses.
Since its launch in 2021, the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Programme has awarded more than $8 million in funding to over 50 innovators worldwide. AI and Manufacturing is the fourth prize awarded as part of this programme, and it recognises established companies driving innovation in Africa’s manufacturing sector with the potential to scale, create jobs, and spread the adoption of these technologies worldwide.
“Africa is producing world-class AI and technology innovation that is solving problems and creating opportunities on a global scale. And that story is only beginning to be told,” said Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, co-founder and CEO, Motsepe Foundation.
She added, “When we invest in innovation that is both locally grounded and globally minded, the returns are limitless. I am delighted to see partnerships like this one ensure the brightest minds have the resources, networks, and platforms they need to scale their work and shape a more prosperous and equitable world.”
Bamenda, Cameroon-based BleagLee is transforming waste management in the country by using patented AI software to detect and collect waste across communities and processing it into high-value products, including engineered recycled polymers, 3D printing filaments, and bio-based carbon materials. It is turning an environmental crisis into an economic opportunity by combining technology with local impact and aims to mitigate 300 million tons of CO2 equivalent emissions by 2030.
For the award, each selected team was evaluated across four key criteria: commercial viability, operational economics, technological integration, and market scalability. In December 2025, the semifinalists presented their innovations to investors at the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit in Abu Dhabi, after which an expert panel selected five finalists to pitch at the 2026 Global Conference.
In addition to announcing the winner of the AI and Manufacturing award, the Milken Institute has announced that the next Milken-Motsepe Prize will focus on the circular economy. This new award is designed to recognise companies using technology to enhance circular economy practices across a range of industries.
There is $2 million in total prizes, including a $1 million grand prize. The Circular Economy Prize seeks commercially viable, technology-enabled solutions that replace linear “take-make-waste” systems with regenerative, resource-efficient value chains.
The registration is open now through 2 PM Eastern on 13 August 2026, and companies can apply here.
Emily Musil, PhD, managing director of Environmental and Social Innovation at the Milken Institute, “Our prize program has become a powerful engine for discovering and accelerating extraordinary innovators who are tackling some of the world’s most urgent challenges across industries.
“As we turn our focus to the Circular Economy, we are especially energised to champion entrepreneurs who are fundamentally reimagining how materials are used, recovered, and reused. These innovators are not only reducing waste—they are unlocking new economic value, strengthening local industries, and driving resilient, inclusive growth.”
