Kosmos
Innovation Center (KIC) officially commenced the 2026 AgriTech Challenge Pro
program with an orientation and onboarding workshop for more than 70
participants at the KIC Center of Excellence in Kumasi.
The
orientation marked the beginning of an exciting journey for aspiring agritech and
food innovation entrepreneurs who will undergo intensive training, mentorship,
and business development support to transform their innovative ideas into
commercially viable enterprises.
The
AgriTech Challenge Pro is KIC’s flagship accelerator program designed to
support young entrepreneurs to launch and grow innovative solutions that
address critical challenges within Ghana’s agricultural sector. Through the
program, participants are equipped with the knowledge, tools, and networks
needed to build sustainable businesses while contributing to agricultural transformation
and economic growth.
By
promoting technology and innovation, the program seeks to enhance agricultural
productivity, improve yields, strengthen value chains, and create employment
opportunities for young people across the country.
During
the orientation session, participants were introduced to KIC’s mission, vision,
and strategic focus areas, providing them with a deeper understanding of the
organization’s commitment to empowering youth through entrepreneurship and
innovation in agriculture.
The
onboarding provided an overview of the AgriTech Challenge Pro curriculum and
expectations. Participants received presentations on key topics including team
building, safeguarding, information and data systems, investor readiness, and
the various training methodologies that will guide their learning experience
throughout the program.
Speaking
to the participants at the orientation, Benjamin Gyan- Kesse, Executive
Director for KIC, highlighted the importance of resilience and an
entrepreneurial mindset for the co-founders to ensure that the training program
provides the needed value to bring growth and scale to their businesses.
As
part of the hands-on approach to the training, participants from the AgriTech
Pro will receive technical assistance from the KIC Center of Excellence for
their product development and food innovation. The KIC Center of Excellence
Kumasi is a specialized facility providing advanced technical infrastructure,
engineering support, and commercialization services for startups, MSMEs, and
corporate partners. The Center is a comprehensive maker space comprising six
specialised maker centers designed to facilitate the development of
technologies and innovations, enabling the transformation of ideas into
tangible, market-ready solutions. Services offered include advanced technical
infrastructure access; engineering and prototyping support; commercialization
advisory services; innovation testing and refinement as well as Market
readiness assessment.
The
AgriTech Challenge Pro forms part of the Initiative for Youth in
Agricultural Transformation (IYAT), an initiative of Mastercard Foundation
in partnership with Kosmos Innovation Center to train and equip the next
generation of young leaders and entrepreneurs in Ghana’s agriculture sector to
drive solutions that unlock growth barriers in key agriculture value chains and
create work opportunities for young Ghanaian women and men. The partnership
pushes for system level changes that position Ghana as a continental
demonstration of agriculture innovations suited to the African context. Since
its inception, the IYAT program has put more than 64, 165 youth into direct and
indirect jobs.
As
the 2026 AgriTech Challenge Pro progresses, KIC remains committed to nurturing
the next generation of agritech innovators who will develop impactful solutions
to drive agricultural productivity, food security, job creation, and
sustainable economic development in Ghana.