The Milken Institute and Motsepe Foundation have just launched an exclusive, time-sensitive competition for forward-thinking innovators across Africa and beyond with the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing. This is more than a funding competition — it’s a groundbreaking global initiative designed to accelerate manufacturing innovation through the power of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics.

This high-stakes competition offers a total prize pool of $2 million — distributed across semi-finalists, finalists, and the ultimate grand prize winner — to support scalable solutions that increase productivity, improve efficiency, and create sustainable jobs in manufacturing sectors. This prize is open to companies and teams with bold ideas that harness AI to optimize production systems, reduce waste, enhance supply chain logistics, or bring intelligent automation to African industries.

With thousands of applicants expected, only the most visionary teams will be selected to compete for global recognition and equity-free capital that can catapult their innovation to global markets. In addition to funding, winners will receive access to world-class mentorship, investor connections, and media exposure through Milken Institute’s elite global platform.

This is your opportunity of a lifetime to contribute to Africa’s industrial transformation, scale your company globally, and make a profound impact. But the clock is ticking, and this urgent call to action ends soon.

The Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing is your golden ticket to create real, lasting change in the industrial landscape of Africa. As a participant, you are not only competing for a million-dollar grand prize — you are joining a transformative movement of entrepreneurs, technologists, and industrial pioneers who are committed to building inclusive economies through innovation.

This record-breaking competition goes beyond cash prizes. You gain access to international partners, scientific mentors, business leaders, and top investors who can fast-track your path to market. You also benefit from high-impact visibility through the Milken Institute’s global platform — an unbeatable springboard for any startup.

Whether you’re streamlining textile production with smart sensors, using machine learning to optimize food processing, or building predictive tools to avoid factory downtime, this prize is your fast-pass to global impact.

Name of Organizer

Milken Institute and Motsepe Foundation

Requirement/Eligibility

1. Applicants must be registered companies or teams working in the manufacturing sector, with a focus on implementing or developing AI-based solutions.

2. Solutions must be directly applicable to manufacturing — including logistics, automation, supply chain optimization, predictive maintenance, or similar areas.

3. Companies must have existing traction or proven pilots demonstrating that the AI solution has real-world impact.

4. Entries must demonstrate how the innovation improves productivity, reduces waste, enhances efficiency, or creates inclusive economic benefits.

5. Applicants must be able to deploy the solution within an African context.

6. Teams must include at least one technical member with expertise in AI or machine learning.

7. Proposed solutions should align with sustainable development and inclusive growth.

8. All participants must agree to share data, progress reports, and testing outcomes as required by the program.

9. Applicants must commit to participation throughout all phases of the competition, including mentorship and demo events.

10. Only entries that meet the above criteria and pass due diligence screening will proceed to the evaluation phase.

Prize

The Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing offers a compelling incentive structure:

Grand Prize: $1,000,000 awarded to the top solution that demonstrates the greatest impact and scalability.

Runner-Up Prize: $250,000 awarded to the second-best solution.

4IR Innovation Award: $100,000 granted to the most promising solution utilizing Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.

Semi-Finalists: Up to 10 teams will receive $50,000 each in unrestricted funding and gain access to business mentorship, pitch coaching, and global investor engagement.

Finalists: An additional $30,000 will be provided to each finalist team to support implementation and testing.

In total, $2 million in equity-free capital will be distributed — offering not just financial support, but global visibility, technical assistance, and networking with top-tier investors, media, and policymakers.