The Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) recently hosted the First Pitch of its 2025 AgriTech Challenge Pro, a pivotal event that kicked off the competition from March 12 to 14. This year’s challenge saw a diverse array of startups from 16 academic institutions across Ghana, each presenting innovative business ideas aimed at revolutionizing the agricultural sector. The participating institutions included notable names such as Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Ghana (UG), and University of Cape Coast (UCC), among others, showcasing the breadth of talent and innovation emerging from Ghana’s educational landscape.
The AgriTech Challenge Pro, a flagship program of KIC, is celebrated for its role in nurturing entrepreneurial talent and driving innovation in agriculture. During the First Pitch, startups had the opportunity to present their business models to a panel of judges, highlighting solutions that tackle critical challenges within the agricultural sector. The 61 startup ideas ranged from food innovation and nutrition to climate technology, circular economies, and various aspects of agricultural technology, including production, post-harvest processing, marketing, and distribution.
The First Pitch served as a crucial evaluation stage, assessing the potential of these startups and their readiness to scale. Based on the judges’ evaluations, 44 startups were selected to advance to the final pitch in May 2025. These chosen teams will compete for prize money designed to accelerate their businesses and enhance their capacity to make a significant impact on the agricultural value chain.
This year’s cohort demonstrated an impressive level of creativity and commitment, offering a glimpse into the future of agribusiness and technology integration. The AgriTech Challenge Pro continues to reinforce KIC’s role in empowering youth entrepreneurs and driving sustainable growth in the agribusiness sector. The stage is now set for the May finale, where innovation and dedication will be celebrated, and the most promising ideas will receive the support needed to thrive.
Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, Executive Director for KIC, emphasized the center’s commitment to youth empowerment. “At KIC, we are dedicated to transforming young entrepreneurs and their businesses by providing them with capacity building, mentorship, and coaching,” he said. “Every year, startups trained through the program continue to show innovative drive and resilience, providing solutions to improve the agricultural and agri-adjacent sectors.”
The AgriTech Challenge Pro is being organized in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation under the Initiative for Youth in Agricultural Transformation (IYAT) Program. This initiative aims to provide young people with employment and work opportunities through entrepreneurship within the agricultural sector, further underscoring the collaborative effort to drive innovation and sustainable growth in Ghana’s agribusiness landscape.
