FAQs – AgriTech Challenge Pro

It is a Center that invests and supports young entrepreneurs and small businesses with viable ideas in the agriculture sector to thrive. KIC provides entrepreneurs with leadership training, mentorship and  network of support, as well as potential access to seed funding from KIC or other entities willing to invest in start-ups. The entire entrepreneurship support is embedded in the AgriTech Challenge which is divided into the Classic and Pro programs. For more information on the Kosmos Innovation Center, please visit www.kicghana.org

The Kosmos Innovation Center was established in March 2016 by Kosmos Energy as their Corporate Social Investment Program. The Center has grown to become an independent Foundation with a fully established structure, operating independently.

KIC AgriTech Challenge Classic is a 7-month program that identifies young people who are interested in setting up a business and provides them with a system of training, workshops, and support to develop their business ideas. The program uses coaching and market research tours to encourage participants to take a fresh look at the agriculture value chain and identify new areas with potential business opportunities.

KIC AgriTech Challenge Pro is a 5-month acceleration program aimed at equipping existing early-stage teams or AgriTech startups with the right tools, funding, and support to bring their business ideas or products to market and prepare them to scale. Half of the startups and business teams that enter the AgriTech Challenge Pro would be from the AgriTech Challenge Classic.

Students and graduates from tertiary institutions are the targets of the AgriTech Challenge Pro.  Participants should be between 18 to 35 years of age. Female participation is highly encouraged.

Smallholder farmers form a greater chunk of the indirect beneficiaries of this KIC program.

Interested applicants/startups should apply through https://bit.ly/2024KICPro. The deadline for submission of applications is close of business on Friday 24th November, 2023.  Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. Applicants can visit the website: https://kicghana.org/ or Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KosmosInnovationCenterGhana to learn more about KIC.

Each AgriTechie team that enters the Pro 

• Must be building or working on an innovative or commercial business solution 
• Must have a Minimum Viable Product (demonstrated, visual, etc).
• Should not have more than four (4) founders – the team must have co-founders who have decision making power with the team or business, with clear roles and responsibilities.
• Should not be registered or operational for more than 3 years.

The trainings would mostly be virtual, aside orientation and pitch periods. There would be several coaching and business review sessions organized by the universities who are KIC partners on the Pro.

The 2023 Pro trainings would mostly be virtual, organized on Zoom.  The physical training sessions would be hosted by the KIC Hub in Accra.

The capacity building sessions (trainings) would be facilitated by various experts, lecturers and professionals. The business review sessions would be facilitated by the various lecturers at the academic institutions as well as relevant subject matter experts, and other resource personnel.

The virtual trainings would be organized in the late afternoons.
The physical trainings would be organized for a number of days at a time with adequate notice served to all the trainees/entrepreneurs.
The business review sessions would be organized based on times that work for the lecturers and the respective teams.

KIC would provide funding to teams formed in the AgriTech Challenge Pro to work on building traction.
Winning teams would be awarded seed funding at the end of the Pro as they enter the KIC Incubation program.

All trainings will be free but KIC would not cover transport to training rooms, this cost must be borne by the individuals (trainees).

The Pro focuses on the agricultural value chain – from farm to fork as well as disposal and recycling of agricultural waste. All business ideas that are worked on through the Pro by the teams that have been formed must touch the agriculture value chain. 

The winners are announced at the end of the AgriTech Challenge Pro, which follows the Classic. Winning startups would receive up to $50,000 in seed funding (grant).

Contact the Center via info@kicghana.org or +233559692863

Our address is: # 77 Nii Nortei Nyanchi Street, Dzorwulu – Airport West, Accra 

Website: www.kicghana.org