This year, Bloomberg is launching its inaugural Africa Startups to Watch list, aiming to spotlight the most innovative ideas and visionary founders across the continent. The initiative celebrates diversity—in founders, teams, locations, and ideas—as a driving force behind the most exciting companies, and the final selection will reflect this.

Startups tackling Africa’s challenges with unique, investor-backed ideas that have gained traction among customers, and are privately held, are invited to apply. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate how their product is making an impact and share details about external funding.

The selected startups will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2025, with profiles featured on Bloomberg TV and other platforms. Applications are open until Nov. 8. Submissions should provide qualitative insights and specifics to convey the business model, customer demand, and what sets the product apart—clear, specific claims are always more compelling than general assertions.