20 Business teams advance in 2023 Kosmos AgriTech Challenge
About 20 Teams have been selected to progress on to the AgriTech Challenge Pro after five months of training under the Kosmos Innovation Centre (KIC) 2023 AgriTech Challenge Classic.
Advertisement
The businesses that were announced at the pitch event held between December 18 and 19 in Accra were selected from a total of 50 teams from across 10 regions of the country.
The 20 winning teams from the AgriTech Challenge Classic to make it to the Pro include: Agricems (UDS), Agriquinns (TTU), Bunnybites (KNUST), Cas-Tech Glue (TTU), DeliMush (UDS), Ecofibre Solutions (UG), FEEP Fibertech (UENR), Greenhusk Innovation (UDS), Greenwood (UG), Harvest Ease Innovators (UENR), Healthy Farmer (UDS), Hullsnovation (UDS), Husk Pack Ghana (HTU), NAYAD Foods (HTU), PaCo Paper (KTU), Rabbitton (UCC), Sunify Solardry Technology (UDS), SunRay (UBIDS), Tekcycle (KNUST), and Zoyapel (BTU).
The selected teams will join the 20 start-ups accepted into the 2024 AgriTech Pro team through applications received. These include: 3Farmate Robotics; Aretha Forson; Bolstaar; Earl K Foods; Ebapreneur Solutions: Farmercy Technologies; FarmWallet; FeatheryCare; FemFarmLife; Fertiltech; FreshLine PHS; GreenHeart Se; GreenMatics; Grenopak; GuineaGenesis; HyfeBee; McHan Organic; MeSADA PCL; OrgaFert and Rijona BBC.
The challenge
The KIC AgriTech Challenge is a business competition launched to encourage young entrepreneurs to use innovation and information and communication technology (ICT) to develop commercial solutions to challenges in Ghana’s agriculture sector.
The programme involves training and capacity building workshops, market research tours to meet with industry actors, entrepreneurship coaching and mentoring from the Faculty Advisors and Technical teams.
The AgriTech teams receive constructive feedback from a panel of experts, that are referred to as Ideation Team members, who help to shape their ideas. Teams that progress onto the AgriTech Challenge Pro will be given $2,000 to grow their Market Viable Product (MVP).
Transformational change
The Executive Director of KIC, Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, at the competition in Accra, explained that KIC was committed to providing transformational change journey for young people, to create job opportunities for them within the agricultural sector through entrepreneurship.
“The future of Africa’s prosperity is in tech and in agribusiness. This will create economic empowerment for young people, and at KIC we are collaborating with partners to provide this personalised training programme for young people.
“Our programme portfolio not only addresses mindset change about agriculture, but provides practical training, tools, network and resources for entrepreneurial development,” he added.
Empowering young people
The Programme Lead-Agribusiness for Mastercard Foundation, Gottfried Odamtten-Sowah, highlighted the foundation’s commitment to empowering young people to access dignified and fulfilling jobs.
“Through our partnership with KIC, the AgriTech Challenge Classic programme, is providing employment opportunities for young people within the agribusiness sector,” he added.
He said KIC was committed to creating opportunities for young people to thrive and make social and economic impact.
Under KIC’s partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, which started in 2022, KIC has been able to scale up the AgriTech Challenge programmes bringing on board 10 partnering universities this year, from a total of five universities last year.
The 10 participating universities include University of Ghana (UG), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Cape Coast (UCC), Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU), Takoradi Technical University (TTU), Ho Technical University (HTU), Koforidua Technical University (KTU), University of Development Studies (UDS), SD Dombo University of Business & Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), and University of Energy and Natural Resource (UENR).
