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ICT4Ag Follow-up Workshop - Agrihack Initiative

Fin4ag14 pre-event

In 2013, CTA organised a pilot regional hackathon in collaboration with various players including the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Young aspiring entrepreneurs from East Africa developed ICT applications targeting agriculture.

The winners and some best participants have been incubated for several months in partner ICT innovation centers to fine-tune their products, their business strategies and prepare the roll-out of the applications.

In Uganda, Ensibuuko, a startup focused on provision of mobile and web financial tools to savings groups of small-holder rural farmers in Uganda has been undergoing incubation at Outbox.

From 11 to 12 July 2014 in Nairobi, Kenya, CTA organized a workshop to review the process of this acclaimed and innovative experience, its results, promote the young entrepreneurs and their products, discuss modalities for improvement, replication and scale-up of this activity in other ACP regions. Participants included representatives of ICT and agriculture ministries, representatives of the ICT hubs, teams of young entrepreneurs and mentors involved, as well as other development stakeholders, including those who contributed to the conception of the activity. In total, about 30 participants from African, Caribbean, Pacific regions and Europe attended it.

The launch of the initiative in the Caribbean was announced at the workshop.

The workshop was held prior to the international conference “Revolutionising finance for agricultural value chains (14 to 18 July) organised by CTA and partners. Some winners and best participants of the activity attended that conference to promote their products and network with experts and potential partners and investors. Some of them (Farm Drive and Ensibuuko teams) promoted their products at the Plug and Play Day of the conference and others shared their experiences in various sessions.

In addition, on 15 July, a 90 min session was organized during the International Fin4Ag conference to inform the conference participants about these initiatives.

During it’s incubation period, Ensibuuko has been able to:

+ Sign a partnership with M-Kopa, an asset financing company that provides solar kits to individuals without access to the electric grid

+ Have raised up-to USD 20,000 in 5 days from the Kiva Platform to distribute loans to their small holder rural farmers.

More information about this agrihack initiative.

Outbox on Google+

Outbox on Facebook

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