African innovation just took center stage again — and a Nigerian woman is leading the charge.
Solape Akinpelu, the visionary Founder and CEO of Hervest, has clinched the prestigious 2025 Aurora Tech Award, taking home the grand prize of $30,000 at the global finale held in Cairo from April 11–13.
Akinpelu’s win makes it two in a row for Nigeria, following Folake Owodunni’s triumph in 2024. It also signals a powerful shift: African women are not just participating in global tech — they’re dominating it.
Empowering Women, One Fintech Solution at a Time
Hervest is a revolutionary fintech platform committed to empowering financially underserved African women — especially smallholder female farmers — by providing access to savings, impact investing, and credit. In a world where women still struggle for financial inclusion, Akinpelu’s work is solving one of the continent’s most urgent challenges.
The Aurora Tech Award, powered by mobility and urban innovation company inDrive, honors outstanding women tech founders building impactful businesses that solve real-world problems. This year’s competition attracted a record-breaking 2,018 applicants from 116 countries — doubling the previous year’s entries.
Meet the 2025 Winners
Alongside Akinpelu, other global winners included:
Loretxu Garcia Arraztoa (Chile) – Founder of Nido Contech – $20,000
Shreya Prakash (India) – Founder of FlexiBees – $15,000
Laura Velásquez Herrera (Colombia) – CEO of Arkangel AI – $10,000
Leonie Korn (Switzerland) – Founder of UpLeap – $10,000
All finalists gain access to high-value investors, global mentors, and strategic partners to help them scale their ventures.
“These Women Are Building Businesses That Matter”
Isabella Ghassemi-Smith, Head of the Aurora Tech Awards, emphasized the awards’ commitment to impact, not just inclusion:
“These women aren’t here because of their gender. They’re here because they’re building businesses that investors should care about.”
Evgenia Matrosova, Chief Growth Officer at inDrive, added:
“The Aurora Tech Award is not just an accolade — it’s a launchpad. We’re closing the gender investment gap and supporting women tech innovators in emerging markets.”
From Umuahia to the World: Africa’s Rising Voice in Innovation
This year’s Aurora Tech Award ceremony was hosted at the SHE CAN Conference, one of MENA’s largest women empowerment summits organized by Entreprenelle, drawing over 7,000 attendees annually.
Akinpelu’s win is more than a personal milestone — it’s a bold statement for the continent. It affirms that Africa is not just catching up — it’s shaping the future of tech innovation.
