Ars Electronica is excited to award the STARTS Prize Africa for the second time in 2025, together with new consortium partners CHRONIQUES, GLUON, and the Royal Museum for Central Africa, as part of the European Union’s project STARTS Afropean Intelligence.
Launched in 2024, the African edition of the well-established STARTS Prize highlights creative practices at the intersection of science, technology, and the arts across the continent. With a Grand Prize of €15,000 and five Awards of Distinction of €3,000 each, STARTS Prize Africa recognizes projects and initiatives that creatively tackle complex issues, promote a diverse and sustainable society and offer visionary pathways towards positive social, humanitarian, economic or political change.
Open to citizens, residents, and legal entities from all African countries, the prize attracted an overwhelming response with 537 entries from 33 countries in its second year, following 405 submissions in its inaugural edition. Using the STARTS Prize methodology STARTS Prize Africa combined an open call and nominations by expert advisors to ensure diversity and excellence. The six winners were selected by a jury of five high-profile distinguished members from a variety of fields of expertise, based both in Europe and Africa. The Grand Prize winner and the selected Awards of Distinction will be showcased at the Ars Electronica Festival 2025 in Linz.
As a key initiative of the European Commission, the STARTS Prize Africa reflects a broader commitment to deepening EU-African cooperation by spotlighting Africa’s dynamic creative ecosystems and supporting visionary innovators that shape a more inclusive, sustainable future. Since 2024, the EU has placed increased emphasis on arts-driven innovation across specific world regions, recognizing the transformative potential of local creativity and technology in addressing global challenges. This strategic focus is exemplified not only by the second edition of the STARTS Prize Africa, but also by the launch of the first edition of the STARTS Prize South America in 2025 – marking a significant step in expanding STARTS’ global engagement and fostering cross-continental collaboration.
S+T+ARTS Afropean Intelligence is funded by the European Union under the STARTS – Science, Technology and Arts initiative of DG CNECT under grant agreement LC-03568051. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or DG CNECT. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
