MILKEN-INSTITUTE/MOTSEPE
28.4.2021 11:03:12 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
The Milken Institute and the Motsepe Foundation today launched the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize program , a multi-year initiative to focus global innovators and entrepreneurs on developing technological solutions that accelerate progress towards implementing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a spotlight on the African continent. This program will include multiple technology prize competitions in the areas of agriculture, energy, education, and health.
“Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies have the power to solve complicated socio-economic and human problems. In the hands of entrepreneurs, these technologies can turn Africa into a global economic powerhouse and transform the world,” said Dr. Patrice Motsepe , Founder and Chairman of the Motsepe Foundation. “Precious and I are thrilled to partner with Mike Milken and the Milken Institute to launch this prize that encourages African and global entrepreneurs to innovate and use 4IR technologies to address some of Africa and the world’s most pressing challenges and improve the living conditions and standards of living of people globally.”
Registration is now open for the first of these free-to-enter prizes. The Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech is a $2 million (USD) global competition for innovative solutions to increase economic value to farmers, from seed to sale.
“My good friends Patrice and Precious Motsepe have long been valued partners of the Milken Institute, especially in addressing global health issues,” said Milken Institute Chairman Mike Milken . “The Motsepe Foundation’s leadership has been highly effective in Africa and inspiring to people around the world. I’m delighted that we will again join forces to encourage long-term technological innovation and enhance the human capital of farmers so they can play a greater role in sustaining a more-dynamic regional economy.”
Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe , Co-founder and CEO of the Motsepe Foundation, added: “This prize competition will tap into global entrepreneurial and technological potential, including among women and the growing youth population across the African continent and worldwide. We’re confident that the competition will attract a diverse group of participants across the world who want to engage with a broad network of resources to action their innovative ideas.”
The Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech was developed through rigorous and inclusive consultations with more than 50 experts from a variety of disciplines, representing academia, industry and government, to define the competition guidelines and evaluation metrics. Field testing will take place in Africa and solutions should have the potential to be applied globally.
“Prize competitions encourage innovation, diversify the talent pool, and inspire new voices from budding entrepreneurs to seasoned engineers,” said Dr. Emily Musil Church , senior director in the Milken Institute’s Center for Global Market Development. “We are pleased to introduce this approach to advancing the SDGs that will harness the power of technology to solve global challenges and create true systems of change.”
How to Enter
Teams have until December 8, 2021 to register and submit designs and business models. An independent panel of expert judges will select up to 25 teams to each receive $10,000 to develop small-scale prototypes over the ensuing six months. In the final round, teams will demonstrate their entries in field tests which will be evaluated by their ability to:
- Increase net economic value to the farmer
- Increase productivity at harvest and/or decrease post-harvest loss
- Reduce costs for farmers
- Provide a viable and sustainable business model
- Be implemented by small and medium-sized farms
- Develop or integrate innovative technologies
The judges will award a $1 million Grand Prize, with additional prize money distributed among Second and Third Place winners, a prize for the most creative use of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and a People’s Choice Prize.
Registration is free, and in addition to the prize money, teams will benefit from access to networking, training, and other resources. To register for the prize, or to learn more, visit www.milkenmotsepeprize.org .
About the Milken Institute
The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that helps people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities. For more information, visit www.milkeninstitute.org
About the Motsepe Foundation
The Motsepe Foundation was founded in 1999 by Dr Patrice Motsepe and his wife, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe. The goal of the Motsepe Foundation is to contribute towards eradicating poverty and to sustainably improve the living conditions and standards of living of poor, unemployed and marginalised people in South Africa, Africa and the world. In January 2013 Dr Patrice Motsepe and Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe joined the Giving Pledge which was started by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates. The Motsepes committed to give half of their wealth to the poor and for philanthropic purposes during their lifetime and beyond.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210428005096/en/
Link:
Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/motsepefoundation.org
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Cognite Positioned as a Front Runner in LNS Research Solution Selection Matrix for Industrial AI Platforms23.4.2026 20:00:00 CEST | Press release
Cognite, the global leader in Industrial AI, has been named a Front Runner in the LNS Research Solution Selection Matrix for Industrial AI Platforms (SSM). The LNS Research SSM evaluates vendors using a rigorous methodology that leverages its “3P” framework—Product, Potential, and Presence—to assess both current capabilities and future readiness. Within the report, Cognite is recognized in three key areas: depth in user-centric industrial AI applications, its knowledge graph-based data model, and its strong partner ecosystem. Together, all three give Cognite the ability to unify and contextualize complex industrial data, enabling organizations to operationalize AI at scale. “Cognite brings a sophisticated data model built for industrial complexities, along with advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, which is crucial for industrial organizations to achieve meaningful productivity gains and enterprise-wide ROI,” said Vivek Murugesan, Research Analyst at LNS Research. “These capabilit
Venture Global Announces Closing of $750,000,000 Senior Secured Notes by Venture Global Calcasieu Pass, LLC23.4.2026 19:47:00 CEST | Press release
Venture Global, Inc. (“Venture Global”, NYSE: VG) announced today that its subsidiary, Venture Global Calcasieu Pass, LLC (“VGCP”) has closed an offering of $750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.000% senior secured notes due 2036 (the “Notes”). The Notes will mature on May 1, 2036. VGCP used the net proceeds from the offering, together with cash on hand and proceeds received from certain hedge terminations, for the prepayment, in full, of VGCP’s outstanding term loans, and to pay fees and expenses in connection with the offering. The Notes are guaranteed by TransCameron Pipeline, LLC (VGCP’s affiliate). The Notes are secured on a pari passu basis by a first-priority security interest in the assets that secure VGCP’s existing senior secured first lien credit facilities and VGCP’s existing senior secured notes. The Notes were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or the securities laws of any state or other jurisdictions, and the Notes
Does Muscle Composition Identify High-Risk Individuals in Chronic Kidney Disease? New AMRA Medical Study Says Yes, Reveals Strong Link to Mortality23.4.2026 17:10:00 CEST | Press release
AMRA Medical researchers recently set out to answer the question: what is the relationship between adverse muscle composition (AMC) and mortality in kidney disease? Recent findings demonstrate that AMC, characterized by low muscle volume z-score and high muscle fat infiltration, is an independent and strong predictor of all-cause mortality in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The findings, published in Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, were based on data from the UK Biobank imaging study and further reinforce the clinical relevance of MRI-derived muscle biomarkers in identifying high-risk populations across chronic diseases. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260423198497/en/ AMRA's MRI-based muscle biomarkers in clinical trials Researchers from AMRA, alongside our collaborators at Linköping University (LiU), analyzed 894 participants with CKD using AMRA’s MRI-based body composi
Diligent Unveils AI Board Member and Agentic GRC Workforce at Elevate 202623.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Diligent’s agentic AI strengthens board oversight and transforms how GRC teams work — reducing manual effort and outside-advisor dependency, tightening control over sensitive workflows and enabling leaders to make faster, more defensible decisions Diligent, the AI leader in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) SaaS solutions, today unveiled a new generation of autonomous AI agents, including AI Board Member — a secure AI assistant for directors — and a coordinated network of agents embedded across the Diligent One Platform. Accessible through a single command center, agents automate multi-step workflows across governance, risk, compliance and third-party management, giving organizations the impact of a “GRC manager” without adding headcount. “AI supercharges teams that embrace it, and boards are no exception,” said Brian Stafford, President and CEO of Diligent. “With AI Board Member and a network of autonomous agents woven through the Diligent One Platform, we’re giving the C-suite an
Safe Software Bolsters Leadership Team with CFO and CPO Appointments to Drive Next Phase of Growth23.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
CFO and CPO executive hires to enhance operational and financial performance on the company’s path to $250M by 2028 Safe Software (Safe), creator of FME, the only All-Data, Any-AI enterprise integration platform, today welcomes two executives to its leadership team as it moves into the next phase of growth. Judd Lee has been appointed as the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Vanessa Ribreau has been appointed as Chief People Officer (CPO). Having recently crossed $100M in revenue, the expanded leadership team will further enable the company to scale as it accelerates toward its goal of reaching $250M in revenue by 2028. Judd Lee is a seasoned CFO with over 15 years of experience partnering closely with CEOs to align financial strategy and accelerate sustainable growth. He is known for his strong commitment to mentorship and for building high-performing global teams rooted in trust, morale and a shared sense of purpose. With more than two decades of financial leadership acros
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom