Winners of the African Development Bank (AfDB) sponsored AgriPitch competition have been rewarded with cash prizes.
According to a statement issued by the bank, the prizes won by the competitors in the competition is estimated to be worth $120,000.
The AgriPitch competition is a platform that offers young Agripreneurs in Africa the opportunity to pitch their Agribusiness proposals to a panel of experts and investors who select winners in “early start-up,” “mature start-up,” and “women-empowered businesses” categories.
The competition was part of the bank’s fourth African Youth Agripreneurs Forum (AYAF), launched on November 3.
Highpoints of the competition included:
- The AgriPitch competition, which was held virtually, saw more than 2,500 applications and 605 proposals from 30 countries shortlisted down to 25 finalists from 12 countries.
- Some of the key partners of the competition include UN Women, African Leaders for Nutrition, and the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa initiative (AFAWA).
- According to the bank, the founder of a cassava processing business in Kenya, a co-founder of a novel food processing technology start-up, and the owner of a smallholder farmer food procurement company in Nigeria, won the top cash prizes.
- Winner for the mature start-up category, Femi Aiki of Foodlocker, Nigeria, was awarded $40,000, while runner-up Noel N’guessan of Lono, Côte d’Ivoire got $20,000.
- For the Women-empowered businesses, the winner, Elizabeth Gikebe of Mhogo Foods, Kenya won $20,000, while runner-up Oluwaseun Sangoleye of Baby Grubz, Nigeria won $10,000.
- For the early start-ups, Ikenna Nzewi of Releaf, Nigeria won $20,000, and David Matsiko of Bringo Fresh, Uganda won 10,000 dollars as runner-up.
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