Broad energy company TotalEnergies has announced the launch of the third edition of the Startupper of the Year Challenge in thirty-two countries in Africa.

This follows the success of the two previous editions of the same where TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya Plc awarded three young entrepreneurs in the most recent one.

Roses Moses of ECO Makaa Solutions was crowned the winner of the second edition and James Nyamai of BioAfriq Energy was the first runner-up while Abraham Mbuthia of Uza Point became the second runner-up.

According to TotalEnergies, this third edition of the Startupper of The Year Challenge reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting the socio-economic development of the countries in which the Company operates in Africa.

It contributes locally to strengthening the social fabric by supporting the most innovative entrepreneurs in the realisation of their projects.

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For this edition, the Startupper of the Year Challenge by TotalEnergies will support and reward young local entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35, who either have a business creation project or a startup that is under three years old, regardless of the sector of activity.

A local jury made up of business leaders, successful entrepreneurs, and managers from TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya Plc, will select three winners in the following three categories:

  • The best business creation project
  • The best startup under 3 years old
  • The best female entrepreneur

The winners of each category will get Sh1,650,000.

The prize for "best female entrepreneur" is a new feature for this third edition, which aims to encourage firmly, female entrepreneurship on the continent.

Each winner will be nominated "Startup of the Year by TotalEnergies" and will receive financial support, personalised coaching and a media campaign to give their project visibility. 

The following are the criteria through which the projects will be evaluated:

  • The projects' response to the challenges of sustainable development.
  • Their innovative character and,
  • Their feasibility and development potential.

After the nomination of the three winners from each country, an international jury will convene to select the three Grand Winners for the continent.

Registration will open on Thursday and will be accessible directly online at: http://startupper.totalenergies.com. Candidates will then have until December 23, 2021, to submit their applications. 

Startupper of the Year Challenge - Facts and Figures

1st edition in 2016

  • 34 countries on the African continent took part in the Startupper of the Year Challenge. 
  • 24,000 registrations were recorded on the website for 11,000 completed applications. 
  • 102 winners were chosen, including 52 winners in the "idea" category and 50 winners in the "business created" category. 
  • The four Pan-African Winners were invited to Paris for a week to benefit from personalized coaching on their project. 

2nd editions in 2019

  • 55 countries worldwide
  • 50,000 registrations were recorded on the website for 15,400 completed applications. 
  • 65 per cent of the files came from the African continent. 
  • 165 winners
  • Six Grand Winners were nominated, including three African Grand Winners. 
  • These six Grand Winners were invited to Paris in mid-March 2019 for a week of personalized coaching. 
  • Each participating country has also designated a "Top Female Entrepreneur" label to promote female entrepreneurship. These 55 "Top Female Entrepreneurs" were invited to Paris for a week in April 2019.