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Temie Giwa-Tubosun, Nigerian entrepreneur took home the top prize of $250,000 cash prize from the $1 million from the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI), started by Chinese investor Jack Ma.
Giwa-Tubosun is the founder and CEO of LifeBank, a Lagos-based blood and oxygen delivery company that connects registered blood banks to hospitals and patients in need of urgent blood supplies.
She said: “The Africa Netpreneur Prize will give me the resources to grow LifeBank and expand our presence in Nigeria and throughout the rest of Africa. I look forward to continuing my journey to solve problems and make a significant impact on the future of Africa.”
WE WON! Thank you for believing in us, thank you for supporting us. We are so excited for the amount of impact this prize will translate into! The best is yet to come 💪🏾🎉🙌🏾 #LifeBankTakesFlight #ANPI2019 #LookingForHeroes https://t.co/CusmwFnhDT
— LifeBank (@LifeBankCares) November 16, 2019
The organization says it will award a $1m grant to 10 African entrepreneurs every year for the next 10 years.
The finale event, called “Africa’s Business Heroes,” was held in Accra, Ghana, where the top 10 finalists pitched their businesses directly to four judges: Ma, Zimbabwean businessman Strive Masiyiwa, Joe Tsai, Vice Chairman Alibaba Group and banking boss Ibukun Awosika.
In second and third place were Egyptian Omar Sakr, founder and CEO, Nawah-Scientific and Christelle Kwizera, founder, Water Access Rwanda who were awarded $150,000 and $100,000 each.
The remaining finalists, each received $65000, are listed below:
- Waleed Abd El Rahman, Chief Exeutive, Mumm (Egypt)
- Ayodeji Arikawe, co-founder, Thrive Agric (Nigeria)
- Mahmud Johnson, founder and Chief Executive, J-Palm (Liberia)
- Kevine Kagirimpundu, co-founder and Chief Executive, UZURI K&Y (Rwanda)
- Dr. Tosan J. Mogbeyiteren, founder, Black Swan (Nigeria)
- Chibuzo Opara, co-founder, DrugStoc (Nigeria)
- Moulaye Taboure, co-founder and Chief Executive, Afrikrea (Côte D’Ivoire)
