GEW Ethiopia 2025 Hosts African Startup Ecosystem Builders (ASEB) Awards Ceremony

The Entrepreneurship Development Institute and partners hosted the African Startup Ecosystem Builders (ASEB) Awards Ceremony alongside the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Ethiopia 2025 commemoration . The event celebrated the vital architects driving Africa's innovation and economic growth.

The evening commenced with opening remarks from Sally Njoh on behalf of ASEB, who reminded attendees that "ecosystem builders are the backbone of Africa’s innovation story." Special guests, including Ms. Zamimou Ahamadi, Vice President of the Departmental Council of Mayotte, and Dr. Philasande Sokhela from Johannesburg Business School, delivered messages of support.

The tone for the celebration was set by Mekdim Gullilat, Country Manager of Reach for Change, whose keynote highlighted the transformative power of a strong, connected ecosystem.

Ethiopian firms and individuals secured several top honors, reflecting the country's growing entrepreneurial momentum: Startup Financing Initiative of the Year, Kazana Group; Incubator of the Year, Iceaddis; Angel Investor of the Year, Henok Asefa; Startup Service Provider of the Year, Melela Partners; and Woman in STEAM of the Year, Afomia Andualem.

The ceremony paid tribute to excellence across the continent with several joint winners and champions: Startup Mentor of the Year: Awarded jointly to Cindy Sibanda (Botswana) and Chantal Claassen (Namibia); Social Entrepreneurship Support Initiative of the Year: Won by Inkomoko (Rwanda); Ecosystem Collaboration Champion: Secured by Growth Accelerator (Malawi);Youth Startup Ecosystem Builder Champion of the Year: Awarded to Abigail Epongseh MBA’AH MBATU (Cameroon); Immigrant Ecosystem Builder Champion of the Year: Jointly won by Olatokunbo Ige (Nigeria to Togo) and Amadou Daffe (Senegal to Ethiopia); Startup Ecosystem Builder Champion of the Year: Jointly awarded to Abenazzer B Tadese (Ethiopia) and Silas Newaka (Namibia).

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award handed out by Dr. Hassen Hussien, CEO of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI). The prestigious honor was bestowed upon Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin for her foundational work in innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa.

The ceremony also gave special recognition to Reach for Change and the E4Impact Foundation for their dedicated work in the ecosystem.

The event closed with a message of gratitude from Addisu Deresse, Lead LOC, followed by a networking session where guests celebrated the winners and forged new connections for Africa's prosperous future.

The event was hosted by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), Rise Addis Podcast, the Ethiopian Association of Startup Ecosystem (EASE), the Ethiopian Entrepreneurs Association, and Velocity Marketing.