The Milken-Motsepe Prize in Circular Economy

Why It Matters

By funneling funding and investor networks into circular‑economy innovators, the prize can catalyze scalable solutions that cut waste costs and drive sustainable economic growth across Africa.

Key Takeaways

• Global waste management cost topped $361 billion in 2024.
• Milken‑Motsepe Prize offers $2 million total, $1 million grand prize.
• Open to tech‑driven African firms with measurable environmental impact.
• Winners receive investor access and high‑profile pitching opportunities.
• Focus areas include food, packaging, construction, electronics, and fashion.

Summary

The Milken‑Motsepe Prize in Circular Economy has launched, inviting African startups and scale‑ups to apply for a multi‑million‑dollar award aimed at accelerating circular‑economy solutions across the continent.

Organisers cite a 2024 global waste‑management cost exceeding $361 billion, underscoring the economic urgency. The competition pools $2 million in prize money, with a $1 million grand prize for the most commercially viable, technology‑driven venture that can demonstrate measurable environmental and social outcomes.

Applicants are encouraged to reimagine food systems, reinvent packaging, transform construction, recycle electronics, and rethink fashion. Registration is free, and finalists gain direct access to investors and high‑profile pitching platforms, positioning them for rapid scale‑up.

If successful, the prize could channel capital into regenerative value chains, boost job creation, and help Africa meet global sustainability targets while reducing reliance on linear consumption models.

Original Description

The next Milken-Motsepe Prize will focus on the circular economy, a new award designed to recognize companies using technology to enhance circular economy practices across a variety of industries. With $2 million in total prizes, including a $1 million Grand Prize, the Prize in Circular Economy seeks companies that develop and scale commercially viable, technology-enabled solutions that replace linear “take-make-waste” systems with regenerative, resource-efficient value chains.

The award also aims to address the complex realities of industrial waste management systems in Africa. Successful teams will demonstrate solutions that deliver measurable environmental and social impact, while providing training and reskilling opportunities to support safer, more specialized waste management practices.

“Our prize program has become a powerful engine for discovering and accelerating extraordinary innovators who are tackling some of the world’s most urgent challenges across industries,” said Emily Musil, PhD, managing director of Environmental and Social Innovation at the Milken Institute. “As we turn our focus to the Circular Economy, we are especially energized to champion entrepreneurs who are fundamentally reimagining how materials are used, recovered, and reused. These innovators are not only reducing waste—they are unlocking new economic value, strengthening local industries, and driving resilient, inclusive growth. As we enter our fifth year of the Milken-Motsepe Prize, we celebrate and acknowledge its growth—and its role in advancing solutions that deliver lasting benefits for communities, markets, and the environment.”

By extending the life cycle of materials, strengthening local manufacturing, and improving both upstream and downstream waste management systems, the prize seeks to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and inclusive circular economy in Africa.

Registration is open now through August 13, 2026, 2 p.m. Eastern. To apply, visit: https://milkenmotsepeprize.org/circular-economy/.

The Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Program seeks companies that must meet the following eligibility requirements: have over two years of continuous operation, generate over $500,000 in revenue and raised capital, have institutional, corporate, and/or public‑sector partnerships, has a solution currently deployed on the African continent, has clear evidence of social impact and job creation, and demonstrates operational readiness to deploy more than $1 million in funding.

Teams from a variety of businesses are encouraged to apply, and teams will be required to submit vertical-specific metrics from industries such as food systems, packaging, electronics, fashion and textiles, construction, and the built environment.