Energy
Octopus Energy opens applications for 2026 entrepreneurship award
The second edition of the Africa Energy Entrepreneurship Award offers grants and mentorship to early-stage clean energy startups.
Key points
- Octopus Energy launched the second edition of the Africa Energy Entrepreneurship Award in partnership with the Sustainable Markets Initiative and Salpha Energy.
- The programme is open to Sub-Saharan African startups aged five years or younger with fewer than 20 employees.
- Three winners will receive grant funding, mentorship, and resources to scale product development and secure follow-on investment.
What happened
UK-based clean energy company Octopus Energy has opened applications for the second edition of the Africa Energy Entrepreneurship Award, according to Disrupt Africa. The initiative is run in partnership with the Sustainable Markets Initiative and receives support from Nigerian solar firm Salpha Energy.
The programme targets early-stage startups operating in Sub-Saharan Africa that have been registered for no more than five years and employ fewer than 20 full-time staff. A panel of industry executives will evaluate entries based on innovation uniqueness, scalability, community impact, and the capability of the founding team to select three winning enterprises.
Programme benefits
Selected startups will receive grant funding to scale their products and deployments. Winners will also gain access to a structured mentorship programme, alongside resources and visibility designed to help them attract follow-on funding.
Last year's inaugural edition supported three ventures, including Nigerian agricultural technology firms Nimsy Agro Solar and KAMIM Technologies, as well as mini-grid optimisation provider PAM AI. Onimisi Charles Atere, founder of Nimsy Agro Solar Concept, noted that the previous grant enabled the company to develop and pilot a solar irrigation reservoir in Kaduna State, according to Disrupt Africa.
Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation, stated that the company aims to support early-stage businesses driving practical changes in energy access across the continent.
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