Announcing the most innovative African clean-energy startup

Environmentally friendly and affordable clean energy solutions in Africa are vital to creating a thriving economy which empowers everyday people. Over the last few months, AfriTech XYZ has been working with Lion’s Head Global Partners, a leading FCA-regulated investment bank, to highlight and support some of the most innovative early-stage clean energy startups coming out of Sub-Saharan Africa. Today we're proud to unveil the most innovative startup as voted by the public.

AfriTech XYZ and Lion's Head Global Partners have forged a partnership is to assist Africa’s clean energy tech entrepreneurs in achieving their full potential. Empowering diverse perspectives to contribute to the international discussion such as Net Zero and Extinction Rebellion, and to spotlight the development of globally relevant innovative technology from African startups.

After a tough selection process, dozens of clean-energy tech companies were reduced to just three, for a public vote. The winner would receive £1000 cash, US$3,000 in Google Cloud Credits and, US$10,000 in Amazon Web Services credits.

The finalists were:

  1. PowerBox Energy Systems (Nigeria) – A manufacturer of affordable solar power systems

  2. SALUBATA (Nigeria) – A producer of recycled, low-cost plastic shoes that aim to sequester carbon

  3. Solar Freeze (Kenya) – A developer of portable cold storage units powered by solar energy


Over the span of a few weeks, over 1200 votes were cast, and with over 58% of the vote, PowerBox Energy Systems was crowned the winner!

In addition to PowerBox collecting the aforementioned grand prize, all three finalists connected with LHGP for two workshops focusing on investment readiness, supply chain management and marketing/branding. Each finalist was directed to a specialised LHGP team tailored to their industry sector, geography, and background.
On behalf of the AfriTech XYZ team and LHGP we would like to thank everyone who voted in the competition.

About AfriTech XYZ
AfriTech strives to make it easier for tech founders in Africa to make meaningful connections with mentors and tech leaders around the world. Our core services surround: intentionally connecting founders to each other, creating virtual spaces for them to interact, supporting each other and co-learn; promoting gender and socio-economic diversity in African tech and; making introductions to angels, funds, incubators, and accelerators.

About Lion’s Head Global Partners
Lion’s Head Global Partners is a leading FCA-regulated investment bank operating across the frontier and emerging markets globally. With offices in London, New York, Lagos, Dubai and Nairobi, Lion’s Head are a fast-growing firm with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa. LHGP provide their clients, which include development finance institutions, sovereigns, corporates, and foundations, with ‘first-of-their-kind’ transactions across key sectors including healthcare, sustainable finance, agriculture, infrastructure, natural resources, renewable energy, power and infrastructure and financial services.

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