The Milken Institute and the Motsepe Foundation are pleased to announce the 20 teams receiving semifinalist prizes for the Milken-Motsepe Prize in Green Energy. Responding to a global call for applications, the semifinalist teams represent 12 countries from around the world. These teams will have four months to demonstrate the effectiveness of their ideas in field tests anywhere in the world, with the goal of dramatically increasing access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity in Africa. In addition to receiving $20,000 and a variety of special benefits, teams will be vying for a place in the Finalist Round, in which five teams will compete for the $1 million Grand Prize.
AfTrak, United Kingdom
Team lead: Jonathan Wilson
Innovation: Sustainable solar microgrids and tailored tractors
Airborne Power Technologies, Tanzania
Team lead: Edina Mwakipesile
Innovation: Airborne wind turbines
GEG ehf., Iceland
Team lead: Rúna Hagalínsdóttir
Innovation: Solar- and geothermal-powered hybrid renewable energy system (HRES)
GenH, United States of America
Team lead: Siddharth Pannir
Innovation: Rapidly deployable modular hydropower system
GreenBox, Republic of the Congo
Team lead: Divin Kouebatouka
Innovation: Mobile, scalable solar containers
Inensus GmbH, Germany
Team lead: Christopher Füss
Innovation: Digitalizing green minigrids for rural industrialization
Jamii Energy International, Kenya
Team lead: Lucy Wakiaga
Innovation: Hybrid system of solar photovoltaic, wind turbine generators, and battery storage
Kawi Technologies, Kenya
Team lead: Rev. Olive Branch
Innovation: Solar energy generation, storage, and distribution utilizing the Swarm Grid Technology
New Horizons, United States of America
Team lead: Christopher Hunter
Innovation: Solar thermal power generation
Newdigit Technologies, Nigeria
Team lead: Joy Egbe
Innovation: Compact, portable device to generate energy from water
OMNIVAT, South Africa
Team lead: Randy Kabuya
Innovation: Containerized electricity generation and storage system
PAMAfrica Green Power Generation Company Ltd., Nigeria
Team lead: Patrick Agese
Innovation: Combined refrigeration and energy distribution system
Powerbox Energy Systems, Nigeria
Team lead: Abdulmalik Badamasi
Innovation: Smart and customizable technology-enabled wind and solar energy system
Prospera Generation Inc., Ethiopia
Team lead: Ali Liban
Innovation: Optical, nonsolid, airborne solar concentrator
Reeddi, Nigeria
Team lead: Olugbenga Olubanjo
Innovation: Affordable, reliable portable electricity solutions
Skicc Tech, Zimbabwe
Team lead: Tinaye Makoni
Innovation: Smart, containerized, portable solar energy-generating unit
Smart AgriCentres, United Kingdom
Team lead: Zoe Slattery
Innovation: Community solar power and productive use hubs
Solar Freeze, Kenya
Team lead: Dysmus Kisilu
Innovation: PAYGO cold storage units powered by solar energy
VGreEN, South Africa
Team lead: Kagiso Mampa
Innovation: Fully localized Vanadium redox flow battery, through ion-exchange membrane
WasteWatt Technologies, Tanzania
Team lead: Costantine Edward
Innovation: Conversion of food waste into bioplastic photovoltaic windows