Deadline: May 21, 2018
Pitch AgriHack 2018 is now open for applications. The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), with the support of the African Development Bank (AfDB), in collaboration with the African Green Revolution Forum(AGRA), Women in Tech Africa, Wennovation Hub (Nigeria) and Suguba (regional), has launched the Pitch AgriHack 2018 on the theme: “Women entrepreneurs innovate for agricultural transformation in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific”.
Pitch AgriHack is part of the AgriHack Talent initiative of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and aims at accelerating e-agriculture entrepreneurship for improved livelihoods in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
Pitch AgriHack will:
- provide a business training boot camp to selected start-ups
- conduct a pitching competition
- offer grants and facilitate access to investments, capacity building and promotional opportunities.
Categories
Two categories are available:
- Early stage platform: This is for e-agriculture applications and platforms that have already been developed but that may still need software or business model improvements. Participants must be able to demonstrate the business potential and functional features of their applications or platforms.
- Advanced platform: This category is for e-agriculture applications and platforms that are already in operation and generating revenues.
Special prizes will be awarded in each of the two categories to woman-owned or co-owned businesses.
The platforms can be websites or apps, and they must offer digital services to the agricultural sector. They can also be hardware associated with software and both will be described.
Prizes and other benefits
- Up to nine winning companies (including up to five women-led companies) will receive from CTA, AfDB and partners involved
- a cash prize of up to €15,000 (per start-up)
- promotional support
- additional capacity building and networking opportunities.
- Some may eventually also benefit from investments from other partners.
Eligibility
- The competition is open to both male and female founders and co-founders of e-agri start-ups, and, more specifically, to companies owners of platforms (websites, apps, devices using software, etc.) offering digital services to the agricultural sector.
- Applicants need to be nationals and residents of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries signatories of the Cotonou Agreement.
- 50% of finalists will be women founders or co-founders of start-ups; discussions at the final will include issues around strengthening engagement of young women in agricultural technology innovations.
- Applicants must be aged between 18 to 35 years old.
- The finale will be held during the 2018 edition of the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF 2018), organised by AGRA and other partners, in Rwanda in September 2018.
Application
Start-ups will provide details on problems addressed, the technical solution proposed, key metrics, customer segments targeted, unique value proposition compared with the competition, cost structure, revenue streams and other business strategy inputs. They will also demonstrate that they are incorporated or that they will close the process a month before the final.
To register, check the page Get Involved
For more information, visit Pitch AgriHack.
