The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission — NITI Aayog, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Rabo Foundation have launched the Agritech Challenge 2021. The challenge is intended at assisting smallholder farmers with challenges like as productivity, climate change, and supply chain management, as well as collaborating with partners such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Bayer.

“As we look to the recovery phase, it is critical that the global financial architecture intensifies its support to accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically in frontier markets,” said UNCDF Executive Secretary Preeti Sinha.

Here Is What You Need To Know

• The UNCDF will use this challenge to facilitate cross-border collaborations between emerging markets in India, Indonesia, Malawi, Malaysia, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia.

• Participants in the Agritech Challenge will have access to industry and market connections, as well as investors and mentorship, to assist them expand to their target international market. As part of UNCDF’s work under the Global Centre for Financial Health, the Challenge will assist participants in developing and testing their solution in the new market, with future support on growing the solution.

• To be eligible to participate, the startups must be registered in any of the participating African countries of Malawi, Malaysia, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia , with at least 2 years of operations. It must have also made at least $150,000 in annual revenue in the last 2 years or $100,000 average annual revenue in the last 3 years. It must also have a live solution with active an active customer base, and not development or testing phase.

Read also:Notable For Backing Farmers’ Co-operatives, ABC Fund Invests $1m In Kenya’s Apollo Agriculture

How To Apply

Applications are open from 22 July 2021 to 30 Aug 2021. Interested applicants can visit (https://www.uncdf.org/finlab/agritechchallenge) for more information on how to apply.

Agritech Challenge 2021 Agritech Challenge 2021

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer