The Africa Earth Observation (AEO) Challenge is an annual open innovation challenge aimed at sourcing novel space technologies since 2016.
About Africa Earth Observation Challenge
Opportunity Details
This challenge seeks to drive entrepreneurial activity in the African space industry and promote awareness of the value of earth observation data across the continent and in multiple sectors such as water and food security, mining, logistics, insurance, and many more.
Earth observation gathers information about the planet's physical, chemical, and biological systems via remote-sensing technologies. This information can then be used to monitor changes in natural and artificial environments.
The 2025 thematic areas include:
- Climate change; Agriculture, Disaster Risk Reduction;
- Natural Resource Monitoring; Sustainable Urban/Rural development;
- Healthcare.
Benefits of Africa Earth Observation Challenge
There are various prizes that will be up are for grabs for the Challenge finalists, including
- Cash prizes in the form of a grant of up to $10,000 in total (to be distributed across top three winners).
- 4-month online incubation and virtual mentorship.
- Up to $10 000 worth of Amazon Web Services Activate credits (to be distributed across all three winners).
- Technical support will be available to the Challenge participants from the leading EOD specialising organisations.
- 3 months access to Maxar Imagery Portal
- Securewatch; Access to Planet Labs data & imagery for R&D use; Access to ESRI sample data, apps, notebooks, deep learning models.
- Intellectual property-related support services from intellectual property attorneys, Von Seidels.
- Various packages of subscriptions to ArcGIS, user conference pass and ESRI Imagery Summit.
- Feature in interviews and editorials via selected media channels.
Africa Earth Observation Challenge Requirements
- Open to businesses across the African continent;
- All submissions must demonstrate a clear application of EOD;
- Be early-stage funding/angel investor ready businesses.
Application Date and Process
- Click on the link to the application website to apply.
Application Deadline
29 August, 2025
Scholarship Application Portal
View details of
Africa Earth Observation Challenge
Apply for Africa Earth Observation Challenge
