2025 Aurora Tech Award: Two Nigerian Entrepreneurs Among Finalists

Two Nigerian entrepreneurs, Manzo Nyifamu Ogechi, Founder of Farmatrix, and Solape Akinpelu, Founder of HerVest, have been shortlisted among the top 10 finalists for the 2025 Aurora Tech Award, a global initiative recognising women-led tech start-ups with significant contributions to international development.

Isabella Ghassemi-Smith, Head of Start-up at the Aurora Tech Awards, announced this in a statement on Wednesday.

The Aurora Tech Award, established in 2020 by inDrive, a global mobility and urban services platform, is an annual non-profit award honouring female entrepreneurs whose technology-driven projects create meaningful social impact.

Ghassemi-Smith emphasised that Aurora is more than just a tech award; it serves as a launchpad for the next generation of female-led unicorn start-ups in emerging markets. The initiative provides funding, access to high-profile investors, and a global network to support women founders redefining industries.

The selection criteria focused on innovation, scalability, and social impact, with this year’s shortlist featuring visionary entrepreneurs from MENA, LATAM, Central Asia, and APAC. The start-ups span various industries, including artificial intelligence, fintech, health tech, agritech, and edtech, with most at the pre-seed, seed, or angel investment stage.

The Nigerian Finalists and Their Impact

Manzo Nyifamu, a certified Food System Specialist and Climate Reality Leader, founded Farmatrix, an agro-allied technology company addressing the challenges of smallholder farmers. By reducing post-harvest losses and enhancing market access, Farmatrix has impacted over 3,000 farmers, improving sustainability and profitability.

Nyifamu highlighted the resilience required to navigate the Nigerian business environment, particularly for women in agritech.

Solape Akinpelu, Founder of HerVest, is tackling the $42 billion gender finance gap in Africa by providing savings, investment opportunities, and credit financing to smallholder women farmers and women-led SMEs. HerVest fosters an inclusive financial ecosystem, empowering women to invest, grow, and contribute to sustainable economic development.

The finalists will pitch their start-ups at the SHE CAN 2025 event, organised by Entreprenelle, further showcasing their innovative contributions to the global tech landscape.