In spring 2015, two determined UW Badgers, Aaron Olson and Mehrdad Arjmand, set a lofty goal: bring electricity to off-grid rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Three years later, they have powered up 74 households across six villages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and on Tuesday they took home first prize in the annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest.

Their company, NovoMoto, was selected among 12 finalists to win the top prize, giving it first pick on a prize package that includes cash, office space, and business services. Thirty judges evaluated the finalists, who delivered their pitches at the Wisconsin Entrepreneur’s Conference at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Read the full story here.