Ideas
to Impact

Incentivizing innovators, entrepreneurs, and small-to-medium-sized businesses to increase technological advancements across environmental, economic, and social sectors in Africa

By 2030, the world population is expected to reach 8.5 billion, with more than half of that growth occurring in Africa. Yet despite recent social, environmental, and economic developments, progress has not kept pace with population growth.

Recognizing this gap and the need for urgent action, the Milken Institute and the Motsepe Foundation partnered to create the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Program. This first-of-its kind program is a series of multi-year, multimillion-dollar innovation competitions and programs focused on Africa, aiming to incentivize entrepreneurs and innovators to advance technological solutions that address some of the world’s biggest challenges.  

Since its launch in 2021, the Milken-Motsepe Prize Program has spurred groundbreaking innovation and deployed nearly $5 million to inspire and support entrepreneurs from around the globe.

The investment in human capital made through the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Program has already fostered created jobs-friendly economic growth, benefiting individuals, businesses, and the African economy. The Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Program is dedicated to driving progress in multiple sectors, ultimately contributing to new, sustainable development and growth worldwide. Two prizes have been awarded so far, and a third one is in progress. Highlights of the program include:

• Creating a global community of over 7,000 members from 123 countries, with more than 75% based in sub-Saharan Africa.

• Distributing nearly $3 million in prizes, including two $1 million grand prizes and $900,000 in runner-up and bonus prizes.

• Supporting participants of the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech, who have collectively raised an additional $5 million in external funding to scale their innovations further.

• Providing ongoing access to the Milken-Motsepe Prize portal, a custom-built platform offering a virtual library, webinars, and professional development resources to foster continued growth and innovation.

Milken-Motsepe Prize programs are designed to incentivize new voices—particularly the unexpected and the bold—and connect them to investors and partners who can help scale their ideas to benefit the UN Sustainable Development Goals and create a more resilient, equitable, and thriving world.

Bipolar disorder affects more than 40 million people worldwide. The condition is complex and presents differently from individual to individual. More than 70 percent of those with bipolar disorder are misdiagnosed at least once. On average, it takes seven years from when symptoms first appear to when bipolar disorder is correctly diagnosed. With more than $100 million as a foundational investment, BD² is a first-of-its-kind organization that brings together cross-disciplinary science under a single umbrella to accelerate discovery and shorten the time it takes to translate findings to improved diagnosis and care. 

• BD² is funding geneticists, clinicians, brain imaging experts, molecular biologists, and neuroscientists all focusing on understanding bipolar disorder  
• Data from across the initiative is shared in a single platform to facilitate collaboration across the community  
• The first round of research funding was announced in March 2023, just six months after BD² launched

The organization celebrates its first year with more than $60M in funding to the community. 

Let's talk about how we can partner for impact.