The MEST Africa Challenge which involves startups across select African countries has a winner in Tanzanian agri-tech startup Kilimo Fresh, a digital distributor of fresh produce to hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, institutions, wholesalers and export markets, has been named winner of the MEST Africa Challenge, winning US$50,000 in equity investment. The competition which involved startups from Ethiopia, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Ghana, Tanzania, Senegal, Nigeria and South Africa were selected to take part in the MEST Africa Challenge, run by pan-African training programme, seed fund, incubator and hub MEST Africa.
The competition which was aimed at post-revenue, tech-enabled startups that want to expand into new markets has had three winners in the last three years and they all were offered the winning company US$50,000 in equity investment, plus access to Microsoft support, coaching, and a continent-wide network of startup hubs.
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The select startups participated in a virtual pitch event which took place within the week after which the winning presentation from Tanzania’s Kilimo Fresh was named the winner. The startup is developing digital farming solutions, and will now benefit from MEST support and funding. Ethiopia’s Debo Engineering, which matches farmers with agro service providers, was awarded the community prize.
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Organisers of the event hope that such exposures is needed for African startups not only to build the much needed connections with others across the continent, but it will also help them share experiences and equally enable governments and organizations understand the challenges facing startups across the continent and also help create friendly environment for positive startup ecosystems across Africa.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry