Deadline: 21-Mar-23
Heifer International, a US-based nonprofit development organisation, has announced an innovation competition targetting youth-led agritech startups in Kenya, with top contestants standing a chance to win up to Ksh2 million.
The challenge is an initiative of Heifer Kenya, which is working closely with E4Impact Accelerator to run the competition. E4Impact Accelerator will employ its expertise in business acceleration to develop a strategic direction for youth, agriculture, and technology in line with Heifer Kenya’s mission and approach.
Kenya’s agriculture industry is the backbone of its economy. However, young Kenyans, who represent more than half of the national labor force, remain almost entirely excluded from this significant industry. This is due to challenges such as negative perceptions of agriculture, lack of awareness of agribusiness value chains, and limited opportunities offered by new technologies and innovative business models.
Young people have the potential to significantly reduce poverty and establish Kenya as one of the key players in agricultural markets. AYuTe Africa Challenge Kenya will translate the energy and ideas of young Kenyan agri-tech innovators into meaningful impact for smallholder farmers across the country and support the winners to grow their businesses and profile.
Award Information
Enterprises can expect to receive the following:
- Cash Prize awards of up to Ksh. 2,000,000 for the top winners.
- Customized 2 months incubation program for the top 24 finalists.
- Customized training boot camps at the various levels of the competition.
- Technical assistance at the various levels of the challenge to strengthen the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and the business and financial model of the start-up.
- Coaching and mentorship personalized to unpack training into business implementation.
- Links to financial & investment opportunities.
- Networking opportunities to showcase your solution and meet with investors and other stakeholders.
Eligibility Criteria
- Established or registered in Kenya.
- Early-stage start-up (less than 3 years old).
- Have an innovative agri-tech solution responding to the needs of the agri-value chain at various levels (e.g., production, aggregation, post-harvest losses management, value addition, access to markets, financing, etc).
- Have a focus on impacting the lives of smallholder farmers.
- The innovation should demonstrate a strong potential to scale.
For more information, visit Ayute Africa.