Pitch AgriHack 2018 is a competition for agriculture startups owned by young entrepreneurs, with reward being capacity building and access to a grant.
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) are teaming up again to organize Pitch AgriHack 2018.
This collaboration is supported by other organizations, including: African Green Revolution Forum (AGRA) and Women Tech in Africa. The first edition of Pitch AgriHack was organized in 2016.
The basics of the competition remain the same. Although, this year there will be a focus on women that will see representation of winners be 50-50, between the two genders. Theme is: “Women Entrepreneurs Innovate for Agricultural Transformation in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific”
The finale of Pitch AgriHack 2018 will be held at the Africa Green Revolution Forum 2018, by AGRA, in Rwanda.
8 winners will be selected from 2 categories and there will be an additional category to reward a woman-owned, founded or co-founded startup by one of the partnering organizations that made Pitch AgriHack 2018 possible.
Winners in all 3 categories will benefit from a boot camp, pitch competition and facilitation to access investment, capacity building and promotional activities – like attendance of regional and international events thanks to CTA and AfDB.
Difference will be in amount of grant received. The 2 winners of the, first category, Early Stage Platform will get sh.930k (€7,500) each. This category will be for startups that still require improvement in product or business model.
The Advanced Platform category will be for post revenue startups. 2 Winners will receive sh.1.86 million (€15,000) in grants each.
Eligibility
- The program is open to both young male and female founders or co-founders aged between 18 and 35 years
- Applicants need to be nationals and residents of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries signatory to the Cotonou Agreement (Kenya is one of them)
- Pitch AgriHack 2018 is open to e-agriculture startups offering digital services in the agriculture sector. Services include: web, app, hardware, software, etc.
In applying for this competition, applicants need to detail problem addressed, technical solution provided and key metrics. They should also show customer segment, their point of differentiation, cost structure, revenue streams and other business strategy input.
Applicants should note that they will be required to demonstrate incorporation or that they will complete the process a month before the final.
Deadline for application is 21st May, 2018. Visit the official website to learn more and apply.