Uganda concludes second season of Global Student Entrepreneur Awards

The second season of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) has concluded in Uganda, bringing together student-led businesses from across the country. 

The national finals, held over the weekend, highlighted ventures developed by students balancing academic commitments with the demands of building and scaling enterprises.

The competition, an initiative of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), aims to identify and support student entrepreneurs demonstrating both commercial viability and personal leadership capacity. Participants were evaluated through a structured process that emphasises individual qualities as well as business performance.

Billy Garvin Ssemayalo, founder of Biocycle Energy, emerged as the overall winner of the 2026 Uganda GSEA competition. Asasira Florence of Florence Fragrances was named first runner-up, while Henry Mutumba, founder of Viridi Growth Limited, placed second runner-up.

Judging criteria were weighted 70 per cent towards the entrepreneur’s mindset, leadership, resilience and character, and 30 per cent towards the business model and performance. According to organisers, this framework reflects the programme’s emphasis on long-term entrepreneurial development rather than short-term commercial outcomes.

GSEA connects participants to an international network of more than 21,000 business leaders and offers global exposure through platforms such as the YouTube series Start It Up.

This year’s competition follows the achievement of Ochom Joel Felix, founder of Phytogold Uganda Limited, who last year became Uganda’s first GSEA global finalist. He progressed to the quarter-finals in Pakistan and later competed in the Global Finals in Cape Town, finishing among the top 19 participants worldwide.

The national phase of Season 2 was overseen by EO Uganda President Nivar Hathi and GSEA Chair Arshad Bholim. Billy Garvin Ssemayalo will now represent Uganda at the next stage of the competition in Saudi Arabia.

Organisers acknowledged the support of sponsors including Crowe Uganda, Hisense Uganda, Fairway Hotel and Voyager Global Solutions, whose contributions facilitated the staging of the event.