3 Startups Win Orange Africa Innovation Challenge 2025

Three startups are turning big ideas into real solutions after winning the 2025 Orange Summer Challenge, a tech competition supporting young entrepreneurs across Africa and the Middle East.

Jordan's SafeGuard took first prize with a smart wearable device that prevents workplace accidents before they happen. The technology monitors hazardous work environments in real time and alerts workers and supervisors to emerging dangers, giving them precious seconds to avoid injury.

Madagascar's GasNika claimed second place by solving two problems at once. Their system converts household waste and organic materials into biogas for cooking and heating while producing organic fertilizer as a bonus product, bringing clean energy to rural communities that lack reliable electricity.

Tunisia's DripIn secured third place with AI-powered sensors that detect water leaks and optimize water use in homes, businesses, and factories. The system uses machine learning to spot problems in real time and alert building managers before small leaks become expensive disasters.

The three winners emerged from a field of 369 young innovators representing 14 countries who spent three months developing 56 startup projects. They received training, mentorship, and technical expertise from Orange Middle East and Africa, its Digital Center network, and partners including Amazon Web Services, Meta, and the United Nations Development Programme.

The Ripple Effect

The winning startups will share 50,000 euros in grants plus ongoing business and technical support from Orange Digital Centers. But the real prize extends far beyond the money.

SafeGuard's technology could prevent thousands of workplace injuries across industries where workers face daily risks. GasNika's dual approach addresses energy poverty while reducing waste and supporting agriculture in communities that need all three solutions desperately. DripIn tackles water loss, one of the most economically damaging environmental challenges facing the region.

The competition has been discovering and supporting innovators since 2011, and this year's winners show how young entrepreneurs are using AI and advanced technology to solve concrete problems rather than chasing digital trends. Orange Middle East and Africa serves 161 million customers across 18 countries, and the Digital Center network connects young people to entrepreneurship opportunities throughout the region.

Each year brings new winners from different countries with fresh solutions, proving that innovation isn't concentrated in any single place but thriving across the entire continent and beyond.

These three startups are building a future where technology serves people, protects the planet, and creates opportunities where they're needed most.