Four young agricultural technology innovators have been crowned winners of the AYuTe NextGen 2025 competition, following a three-day event filled with presentations, open dialogue, and innovative ideas in Kampala, Uganda. The event, developed and hosted by Heifer International, serves as Africa’s premier platform for youth-led agricultural innovation, aiming to empower young people in shaping the future of food.
Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President of Africa Programs at Heifer International, highlighted the significance of the event, stating, “Across the continent, more than 2,000 agritech startups are operating today, many of them led by young Africans. These young agripreneurs are unlocking opportunities at every stage of the agricultural value chain.” This year’s event, themed ‘AgTech Generation Rising,’ brought together emerging leaders, investors, policymakers, and development partners from across the continent to spotlight and scale solutions transforming small-scale farming.
The competition saw over 100 applications from 10 African countries, with 11 finalists pitching their innovations live before a panel of investors and policy leaders. The innovations were assessed based on their value to smallholder farmers, technological soundness, social impact, scalability, team capacity, and financial viability. The finalists competed in two core categories: Climate-Smart Agriculture and Access to Finance and Markets.
In the Climate-Smart Agriculture category, Carolyn Mwangi, Founder and CEO of Kimplanter Seedlings and Nurseries (Kenya), emerged as the Overall Winner. Her enterprise supplies climate-resilient vegetable, fruit, and tree seedlings tailored for smallholder farmers. Mwangi expressed her gratitude, stating, “This recognition means so much, not just to me, but to our entire team at Kimplanter. We have always believed that building resilience for smallholder farmers starts with something as simple, yet powerful, as the right seedlings.”
The First Runner-Up in this category was Maryanne Gichanga, CEO of Agritechs Analytics (Kenya), recognized for her solar-powered farm sensors that enable pest alerts, soil health monitoring, and remote farm management via mobile tools.
In the Access to Finance and Markets category, Nana Opoku, CEO of Grow For Me (Ghana), took home the Overall Winner title. His digital platform empowers individuals to invest in crops managed by experienced farmers, sharing profits post-harvest. Opoku reflected on the impact of the award, saying, “This opportunity validates our work and marks the beginning of a major shift for Ghana’s smallholder farmers. It will go a long way in unlocking financial opportunities, bringing greater stability, increasing incomes, and providing protection against crop losses.”
Richies Attai, Co-Founder and CEO of Winich Farms (Nigeria), was the First Runner-Up in this category. His end-to-end tech platform connects farmers directly to factories and provides bundled credit and insurance solutions.
Beyond the pitches, AYuTe NextGen featured powerful discussions led by young people, offering insights into the challenges, opportunities, and urgent need for changes in food systems. These sessions included topics such as growing high-impact agricultural startups, local contexts driving unique agricultural technology solutions, and reframing young people as system builders.
The event united innovators and partners from across Africa, fostering crucial collaboration for the future of food. As the event concluded, a united call to action emerged for all stakeholders to empower Africa’s agricultural transformation. This collective effort aims to unlock the full potential of African agriculture, driven by its dynamic youth and centered on the resilience of smallholder farmers.
The implications of this event are far-reaching. By spotlighting and supporting these young innovators, AYuTe NextGen is not only providing a platform for their ideas but also fostering an ecosystem where agriculture and technology intersect to drive meaningful change. The winners and finalists represent a new wave of agricultural entrepreneurs who are leveraging technology to address critical issues such as climate resilience, financial inclusion, and market access. Their success stories serve as a beacon of inspiration for other young Africans looking to make a difference in the agricultural sector. Moreover, the event underscores the importance of collaboration among investors, policymakers, and the private sector in creating an enabling environment for these innovations to thrive.