By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian agtech company ThriveAgric has been selected among the 2022 winners of the AYuTe Africa Challenge supporting agtech innovators along with DigicCow from Kenya and Botwana-based Brastorne Enterprises.
Heifer International today announced the winners of the AYuTe Africa 2022 Challenge, and all three companies will receive a substantial monetary investment: a total of $1.5 million in grants, along with ongoing support from a team of expert advisors, accomplished business veterans, to help translate their funding into an aggressive expansion strategy.
ThriveAgric is a fast-growing start-up that boosts farmers’ income and production with its innovative agricultural operating system. DigiCow is an agritech company using digital tools to modernize production on small-scale dairy farms, while digital technology for basic phones developed by Brastorne Enterprises is bridging Africa’s rural digital divide.
Speaking on this, Ms Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President, Africa Programs, Heifer International, said: “At a time when Africa is facing unprecedented food-related challenges, it is incredibly inspiring to see these young African champions firmly focused on a future-led agriculture that provides farmers with the innovations they need to succeed.
“We launched this competition in 2021, challenging young Africans to bring us innovations primed to deliver the positive disruption our farmers urgently need. ThriveAgric, DigiCow and Brastorne are more than ready to meet the moment.”
This is part of Heifer International’s commitment to supporting young entrepreneurs developing affordable technology innovations while working to scale their businesses. Doing so makes new services and technologies available to African farmers to overcome longstanding challenges and attract a new generation to unlock the enormous potential of agriculture on the continent.
Expressing his delight, Mr. Uka Eje, Co-Founder and CEO of Thrive Agric, said: “We have developed the technologies, strategies and partnerships that we believe can build the largest network of productive and profitable farmers Africa has ever seen.
“ThriveAgric’s 500,000 farmers are already producing and earning far more than the average Nigerian farmer. Investors are responding to our potential, and this prestigious award from Heifer International will accelerate our expansion plans across the continent.”
DigiCow, for its part, helps small-scale African dairy operations increase productivity with technology that provides free access to livestock management experts and links farmers with trained and qualified veterinarians, artificial insemination providers and supply services. of food, all from their mobile phones.
Brastorne’s apps, such as mAgri, give farmers access to agricultural information, markets and short-term finance using the capabilities of any feature phone, such as SMS and interactive voice technology.
Brastorne Mpotsa’s mobile service (“Ask Me”) provides unconnected rural mobile users with localized information, and Vuka leverages USSD technology to allow users on any phone to create profiles, add friends, create chat groups and more.
These technologies have helped farmers achieve a 250% increase in yields and achieve 85% savings in communication and access to information. The company also has 100 percent youth employment.
