The AYuTe Africa Challenge has identified three African agri-tech firms as winners. These companies, ThriveAgric of Nigeria, DigicCow of Kenya, and Brastorne Enterprises of Botswana, will each get US $1.5 million in grant cash and access to professional advisers.
The AYuTe Africa Challenge, run by Heifer International, supports agri-tech innovators on the continent and is a cornerstone of Heifer’s mission to help young entrepreneurs create accessible tech solutions as they grow their companies.
DigiCow is an agri-tech company that uses digital tools to modernize production on small-scale dairy farms, ThriveAgric is a fast-growing startup that increases farmer incomes and production, and Brastorne Enterprises has created digital technology for feature phones that is bridging Africa’s rural digital divide.
The three businesses will receive a combined US $1.5 million in awards as the 2022 AYuTe Africa Challenge winners, as well as continuous assistance from a team of professional advisers to help them turn their financing into an ambitious expansion strategy.
“At a time when Africa is facing unprecedented food-related challenges, it is incredibly inspiring to see these young African champions firmly focused on an agriculture-led future that provides farmers with the innovations they need to succeed,” said Adesuwa Ifedi, senior vice president of Africa programmes at Heifer International. “We launched this competition in 2021, challenging African youths to bring us innovations poised to provide the positive disruption our farmers urgently need. ThriveAgric, DigiCow, and Brastorne are more than ready to meet the moment.”
