6 start-ups vie for $100,000 Kosmos grant as 2017 AgriTech draws to a close

Twenty-three young men and women grouped into six start-ups are gearing up to convince an expert panel of judges in a final showdown on July 28, 2017 to grab the $100,000 grant on offer from oil producer, Kosmos Energy Ghana.

The young university graduates with varied backgrounds are part of more than 200 applicants and 100 shortlisted contestants in a competition to proffer smart solutions, using information and communications technology (ICT), to some of the challenges in the agricultural value chain.

After many weeks of demanding field research, engagements with captains of industry for pitch preparations to convince the judges, the six teams are ready for the decider of who takes home the $100,000 grant at stake in the 2017 edition of AgriTech Competition.

QualiTrace, AgroSeal, Rent A Farm, Agro Innova, Anitrack and CompleteFarmer are the start-ups which survived the rigorous journey of learning and pitching.

The AgriTech Competition is organised by a special purpose vehicle, Kosmos Innovation Centre (KIC), set up by the oil producer Kosmos Energy Ghana to prosecute its transformational social investment programmes.

It is the second consecutive year that the company is supporting young university graduates to form start-ups to apply ICT innovation to create commercial and transformational solutions to some of the challenges facing the agricultural sector.

Besides the $100,000 seed money for the winner, the last four teams would also be given entrepreneurial training at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) incubator in Accra.

The young graduates with impressive profiles have proposed a plethora of equally enthralling solutions to agriculture in the country.

QUALITRACE
QualiTrace is a vibrant start-up that uses track and trace technology to authenticate product inputs and outputs. The focus of QualiTrace is to authenticate agro-inputs (crop protection products) using mobile validation system.

The team is made up of:
Jennifer-Jayne Asante, a media practitioner with 21 years working experience in the field. She has worked with prestigious media houses such as Multimedia, Radio Univers and Sunny FM.

Ebenezer Emmanuel Owusu is an information technology (IT) expert with a degree in Geology. He has worked with the Career and Counseling Office of the University of Ghana as IT and Support Officer in charge of the web and IT systems and helping staff use them efficiently. He also advised in procurement.

Kenneth A. Nelson, Agribusiness Manager

Team QUALITRACE is led by Kenneth A. Nelson, whose academic background is in agribusiness management. He has five years working experience in the agribusiness industry as a research analyst and supply chain manager of the Accra Abattoir Company Ltd.

Padiki Bukari, a nutritionist, holds a BSc in Nutrition and Food Science. She has worked with Nestle Ghana Ltd where she was engaged in handling and management of raw materials. This gave her a first-hand of tracing raw materials from suppliers through to production and finally to finished products.

AGROSEAL
AgroSEAL Ltd is a logistics and transportation service company in the agriculture space. We provide a platform which connects fruits and vegetables’ aggregators and large scale farmers to timely truck services using appropriate stackable packaging materials to mitigate post-harvest loss and increase food security.

Samuel Avisey Yaw holds a degree in BSc. Agriculture Technology from the University for Development Studies. He has more than five years’ experience in the agricultural sector from being a project coordinator (class project) for the Agric. class in Wesley Grammar; and an Agronomist for VEPEAG, FYSSO Ghana. He is currently an entrepreneur in Nhyira farms.

Lukman Abubakari, a development planner with a BSc Development Planning background currently works with Agri-Impact Consult. He has experience in vegetable production, transportation and marketing. He also has experience in agribusiness management and research development.

Ahmad Bilesanmi is a software developer with a degree in Computer Information Systems from the Babcock University, Ogun State in Nigeria.

He has worked with Microsoft, has been a software developer at Silver Edge and Verge App, both in Nigeria and is currently on scholarship at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) to study software development.

Edna Sawe is currently an entrepreneur-in-training in software development at MEST and undertaking her Master’s degree in Energy Engineering. She has a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. She has an experience in renewable energy technologies and has worked with Renewable Energy Association of Kenya. She is the Chief Product Officer of AgroSEAL Ltd for product related activities, including product conception, development and strategy.

RENT A FARM
Rent A Farm provides an agricultural land rental marketplace for land renters who want access to arable land with convenience. It uses digital mapping technology to show the location of arable land on the website (www.rentafarmgh.com). Farmers (investors) can use the website to request land by selecting farmland locations on the digital map by completing a form.

Kafui Sename, the CEO of Rent-A-Farm Ltd, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in ICT from GIMPA. He is an ICT Instructor and the CEO of Valens Mushroom in Ho. He spent most of his post Junior High School days in various leadership capacities. He was the National Vice President of the association of the 38 public Colleges of Education in Ghana. He also worked as a Municipal Youth Coordinator for GNAT in the Volta Region.

Bernard Aryeh-Teye is an Associate Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana. He has worked with the accounts department of the Ghana Cocoa Board in Koforidua.

His passion for agriculture made him to initiate a project to construct an incubator to hatch poultry eggs, a project which is still undergoing testing. He is the Finance Officer of Rent A Farm Ltd.

Daniel Agbesi Adjei holds a BSc Degree in Agriculture from the KNUST. He worked with Green Crop Farming Ghana as Assistant Farm Manager and Agronomist.

He is also the former Farm Manager of Rhema Farms. He is a rice seed farmer and also a poultry farmer.
Currently, he works with FYSSO Ghana as a practicing agriculturist and has over 900 farmers under his care in the Asutuare enclave.

He is a co-founder of Youth and Women for Agriculture (YOWFA), a non-profit organisation that helps the youth and women have access to land and support to start their own farm. He is the Operations Officer for Rent A Farm Ltd.

Felix Yao Akpabli holds a BSc Degree in Agriculture Technology from the University of Development Studies, Tamale. He worked as a veterinary assistant at New Abirem in the Birim North District in the Eastern Region for MOFA and has knowledge in practical animal nutrition and health.

Felix also worked with Global Agri-Development Company (GADCO) and a former field staff for ACDI-VOCA working with rural farmers in the northern part of the Volta Region.

He currently works as a crop specialist for FYSSO Ghana overseeing more than 200 cluster farms in the Afife-Weta enclave. He is the Technical Officer for Rent A Farm Ltd.

AGRO INNOVA
AGRO INNOVA presents, ‘AKOKOTAKRA’, an enterprise mobile and web-based management system that enables poultry farmers to record, monitor and keep track of their operations in real time. With this innovative comprehensive tool, poultry farm managers will have their farms on their fingertips to help give a clear overview of farm operations to aid in effective and efficient monitoring and evaluation.

The team has Amos Narh Doku, an MBA in Accounting and Finance holder from the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA). Prior to that, he obtained a B.A in Economics and Psychology (Combined Major) from the University of Ghana, Legon. He also has Single Diploma in Business Management and Human Resource Management from the Institute of Commercial Management, (ICM), U.K.

The team also has Kelvin Kotey Ashie, a Bachelor of Science in Construction Technology and Management scholar from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Kelvin is passionate about nurturing sustainable businesses and making them scalable. He is a co-founder and Head of Operations at Xcel Logistics.

Kelvin worked as a Junior Associate at Desimone Construction Limited, where he built project management models for construction projects.

Moses G. Mallaghan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Ghana, Legon. Moses is passionate about animal farming and has extensive industry expertise through his hands-on management in poultry farming as well rabbit farming.

He is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gamma Farms and a pioneer and co-founder of the Rabbit Ghana Association. At Agro Innova, Moses is the Head of Operations and agribusiness engagements.

Patrick Ofosu-Agyemang is also a member of Agro Innova. With a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from KNUST, Patrick is a certified Microsoft Security Fundamental expert as well as a Microsoft Server Fundamental analyst.

Patrick is a Professional Full Stack developer and is skilled in programming languages such as PHP, Java, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3, JQUERY, Android. He has expertise in Database systems such as MYSQL, MS Access Servers: Glassfish Server, Apache Tomcat.

ANITRACK
Anitrack’s objective is to help protect the investment of the farmers and save the time they spend in monitoring their animals. It provides simple livestock management software that identifies and tracks the health status of individual livestock through RFID technology.

Winnie Akoko is a tech entrepreneur from MEST. She has a background and experience in business development, project management as well as Human Resource. She enjoys working in fast paced environment and with teams that identify problems in the society and come up with relevant solutions.

She has worked as a market researcher for a startup firm and as a financial advisor for Britam. Currently she is the co-founder and business strategist for Anitrack.

Tony Marfo, a techpreneur at MEST, is also the chief technology officer Anitrack. He has keen interests in software development, artificial intelligence, robotics and agritech.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and worked with companies such as Economic Business Group Africa and West Lion Group.

Saani Abdul-hak, the Chief Finance Officer of Anitrack Gh, holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accounting from the Tamale Polytechnic.

He joined Abass Farms in Tamale in 2015 on internship and for training in the care and management of poultry (layers). He also started an enterprise for which he is the CEO in the cultivation of cereals ( maize and rice).

COMPLETEFARMER
CompleteFarmer provides agribusiness solutions for an identified niche market of individuals through a practical, personalised and customised farming experience.

Charles Doku Ofosuhene is passionate about agriculture having helped to set up a maize and pepper farm in 2015. Charles graduated from University of Ghana, Legon with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Resource Development in 2013. He is also very enthusiastic about graphic design and branding.

Charles was a teaching assistant at the Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon. On the CompleteFarmer team, he is in charge of partner acquisition.

Nanette Baimbill-Johnson has a flair for interacting with people and agriculture. On the CompleteFarmer team, he serves as the main source of agricultural know-how and business development.

Nanny is a graduate of the University of Ghana (Legon) where she acquired a degree in Agricultural Science and now works as a business development assistant, specialising in agribusiness diagnosis, management and growth.

Desmond Koney, a mechanical engineer, has a passion for solving some of humanities greatest challenges. He has worked as a teaching and research assistant at the Mechanical Engineering Department of KNUST.

He currently works as an energy systems consultant with The Energy Centre at KNUST. As a serial entrepreneur and innovator, Desmond has worked on several projects such as solar powered incubator for hospitals, and is designing the first solar powered car for KNUST and other projects.

Joyce Pobi brings on board a strong entrepreneurial spirit with a management background from the Central University College. Over the years, she has established a number of businesses and shows no sign of stopping soon.

She is a sales person and distributor for Veron Homes (dealer in Samsung, Nasco and Midea products), while cultivating an eight-acre pawpaw and coconut farm which is her pride and joy.

Joyce currently works with the National Communications Authority (NCA) and also in charge of Marketing at CompleteFarmer.