Pitch AgriHack 2023

Candidates are early-, mature- or growth-stage, or women-led technology or digital services companies with innovative solutions impacting smallholder farmers at scale.

Applicants should have:

• A clear and defined description on how their solution is impacting smallholder farmers.
• Strong organizational and operational structure.

The applicant applying must:

• Be aged 18-40 on the day of submission to the 2023 Pitch AgriHack Competition.
• Hold nationality (with official ID) from any of the 54 nations of the African Union.
• Be the founder/co-founder of the enterprise represented in the competition and play an active role in its operations and leadership.
• Have no criminal record related to corruption, tax evasion, financial impropriety, felony or
  other offenses.
• Not be a previous Pitch AgriHack or GoGettaz finalist or winner.
• Submit the application form in English.
• Agree with the Terms & Conditions.

Early-stage category, venture must have:

• The ability to scale and impact a large number of smallholder farmers.
• An identifiable technological innovation that addresses the following problems for smallholder farmers:
  • Smallholder farmer productivity
  • Smallholder farmer income
  • Labor intensiveness of operations
  • Resilience
  • Access to information for smallholder farmers
  • Strong competitive advantage

Growth-stage category, venture must have:

• The ability to scale and impact a large number of smallholder farmers.
• Recorded evidence of demonstrated impact on smallholder farmers’ revenue.
• An identifiable technological innovation that addresses the following problems for smallholder farmers:
  • Smallholder farmer productivity
  • Smallholder farmer income
  • Labor intensiveness of operations
  • Resilience
  • Access to information for smallholder farmers
  • Strong competitive advantage

There will be a screening process to determine the top 12 start-ups, which will be invited to attend a pitch training session. Half of the selected start-ups will be women-owned start-ups (one official co-founder must be female). The selection is mainly based on the quality of the information submitted in the application. Additional information may be requested by the organizers.

Online screening criteria

• How real is the need?
• What problem does the solution solve?
• How unique is the solution?
• Does the team demonstrate an ability to execute?
• What is the market opportunity?

Technical assessment criteria

• Early-Stage Category:
  • Scalability
  • Feasibility/Proof of concept
  • Technical viability of the solution
• Mature-Stage Category:
  • Smallholder farmers reached
  • Profitability

Final pitch criteria

• Impact on Smallholder Farmers
• Technological Innovation
• Business Model
• Team
• Scalability
• Use-of-funds

Pitch AgriHack 2023 is a testament to the commitment of AGRF, Heifer International, and Generation Africa to foster innovation, create jobs, and enhance food security in Africa. Through this dynamic competition, they aim to inspire a new generation of agritech entrepreneurs who will revolutionize the agricultural landscape and empower smallholder farmers across the continent.

ABOUT HEIFER INTERNATIONAL
Since 1944, Heifer International has worked with more than 39 million people around the world to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way. Working with rural communities across Africa for 49 years, Heifer International supports farmers and local food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide a living income. 

ABOUT GENERATION AFRICA
Generation Africa is a thematic platform of the AGRF, whose mandate is to strengthen the ecosystem for youth entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector across Africa. From its start in 2019, Generation Africa has brought together industry leaders, government institutions, NGOs, NPOs, and community platforms to collaborate on ecosystem development, curation and support of agribusinesses, research and advocacy, and the inspiration of young people to embrace opportunities in the agrifood sector. 

ABOUT THE AGRF
The African Food Systems Forum (AGRF) is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward. Under AGRF’s current strategy, the Forum is particularly focused on driving progress of the Malabo Declaration by 2025 as the priority set of commitments African Heads of State and Government have made to strengthen agricultural development at the centre of the continent’s overall development and progress. The AGRF is organised by the AGRF Partners Group, a coalition of institutions that care about Africa’s agriculture transformation. 

Generation Africa, in partnership with Microsave Consulting, is conducting a survey to gather insights into the experiences and perspectives of African youths in the food systems. 

This survey is an important initiative to understand the experiences, challenges, and opportunities for youth entrepreneurship in Africa. Policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders can use this information to develop targeted interventions that support the growth of youth agri-entrepreneurship in Africa. The survey comes at a critical time when the continent is experiencing a demographic shift due to the growing youth population.

Please go to this link to fill in the survey.