Million-dollar Milken-Motsepe Award Introduced to Fuel AI-Powered Manufacturing Across Africa
The Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing, a prestigious award offering a total of $2 million in prizes, has been launched at the 2025 Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles. This initiative aims to recognise and support African established companies that are transforming manufacturing value chains in emerging markets by leveraging artificial intelligence and related technologies.
The prize program, now in its fourth and most ambitious edition, is part of a series of innovation challenges designed to tackle Africa's structural issues through technology. Despite being open to global applicants, the prize program's core focus remains Africa, where the need for re-industrialisation is especially pressing.
In South Africa, the decline in the industrial base, caused by falling inventories, fractured value chains, and chronic underinvestment, has made the need for re-industrialisation pressing. The prize program promotes job creation while unlocking export potential across African economies, with long-term projections indicating that manufacturing-led growth could drive more sustainable employment than even agriculture.
The Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing is backed by South African billionaire Dr. Patrice Motsepe and the Milken Institute. The long-standing commitment of the Motsepe family, including their 2013 pledge to donate at least half their wealth, has earned the initiative credibility in both philanthropic and policy circles.
Unlike traditional grants, these prizes are equity-free and open to global teams. The prize program has already provided over $6 million in equity-free support to more than 50 startups across various sectors. Winning teams from previous editions have impacted over 530,000 lives and attracted follow-on capital from investors.
The prize program is structured to support both early-stage innovation and later-stage implementation. The $2 million prize pool includes a $1 million grand prize and is intended to support entrepreneurs developing AI-powered technologies that localise production, strengthen supply chains, and create high-quality industrial employment across the continent.
The prize program aims to expand access to essential goods, including affordable housing materials, food, and healthcare. It also encourages innovations reaching underserved communities, thus promoting inclusive economic growth. Applicants must be established companies operating in Africa, with a proven track record of impact, particularly in reaching underserved communities or markets.
The Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing is not just about financial rewards. It is about recognising and supporting companies that are revolutionising manufacturing through AI, helping to bridge the gap between Africa and the global manufacturing landscape, and fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship on the continent.
[1] Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing Official Website. (2025). Retrieved from https://milkenmotsepeprize.org/ [2] Milken Institute. (2025). About Us. Retrieved from https://www.milkeninstitute.org/about-us/ [3] Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing Official Guidelines. (2025). Retrieved from https://milkenmotsepeprize.org/guidelines/
The Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing is not limited to Africa, but its core focus remains on re-industrialising the continent, as the prize program aligns with the goal of bridging the technology gap and transforming business operations in the industry. This equity-free competition, backed by Dr. Patrice Motsepe and the Milken Institute, seeks to recognize and support innovative African companies that leverage technology, particularly AI, to strengthen finance, business, and technology sectors in the manufacturing industry.
