Eleven Kenyan agri-businesses tackling food security have been selected for the FoodTech Africa Accelerator programme, giving them access to training, mentorship and the chance to secure up to US$100,000 in funding.
Aimed at addressing food security through fostering innovation, FoodTech Africa is a project commissioned by GIZ Make-IT in Africa and implemented by @iBizAfrica and Pangea Accelerator.
The 10-week programme is designed to support women and youth owned growth-stage agri-based companies to sustain business growth through facilitating access to financing, business support and technology adoption.
Selected businesses will receive intensive training and mentorship, B2B sales opportunities as well as the opportunity to interact with investors, with leading companies getting investment of up to US$100,000. Over 420 applications were received, and 11 startups have now been selected.
The 11 selected startups include digital crowd-farming platform iFarm360, cold storage startup SolarFreeze, blockchain-based farm management platform Shamba Records, waste-to-value company Ecodudu, farm sanitation startup Faina Innovation, and cassava processing company Mhogo Foods.
The list is completed by record-keeping mobile app Digicow, fresh produce exporter Mula Exports, avocado oil producer Origen Group, Chibundiro manufacturer Taste Afrique, and data-driven demand tracker FreshPro Farms.
“We are excited to be part of the FoodTech Africa Accelerator, which offers a chance for startups like ours to collaborate, grow and shape the new vision of a food secure Africa through youth led innovation,” said Dysmus Kisilu, co-founder of Solar Freeze.
