KIC and Mastercard Foundation organise onboarding for AgriTech Challenge Pro participants

Participants in the Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) AgriTech Challenge Pro recently underwent a Team Building and Bonding Bootcamp Workshop organised as a military-style bootcamp designed to equip them with resilience, discipline, and teamwork skills vital for entrepreneurial success. By working together in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, KIC aims to empower young people with relevant entrepreneurship and employment skills.

The bootcamp, held in collaboration with Army Recruit Training School (ARTS) in Shai Hills part of the KIC’s holistic approach to training the next generation of innovative agripreneurs in Ghana. Participants engaged in activities aimed at fostering the resilience and adaptability necessary to navigate the complexities of being an entrepreneur. This year, a total of 61 start-up teams are taking part in the competition. 38 of these start-ups are joining after emerging winners at the AgriTech Challenge Classic Final pitch, while the remaining were accepted as already existing start-ups.

The KIC Agritech Challenge Pro is an accelerator program aiming to support young entrepreneurs to launch and grow commercially viable, scalable solutions to key problems in the agricultural sector. The program aims to drive technology and innovation as a catalyst to enhancing productivity, improving yields, and creating more jobs within Ghana’s agricultural sector.

Speaking on the impact of the bootcamp, Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, Executive Director of KIC, said:
“Entrepreneurship requires more than just ideas; it demands discipline, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. This bootcamp training is a vital step in preparing our AgriTech Challenge Pro participants to tackle the challenges of the agribusiness sector and emerge as leaders who can drive sustainable change and transformation.”

Participants shared their experiences, emphasizing how the bootcamp instilled a renewed sense of determination. Kenneth Kofi Annan Sam, co-founder of GreeNovate Solutions (Takoradi Technical University), a start-up that is using agricultural raw materials for packaging products noted, “My experience at the military bootcamp has been amazing. I had the opportunity to meet team members from other start-ups from other campuses, and have also been able to bond well with my teammates, and plan for activities to position our start-up for growth. We are looking forward to the capacity building from the AgriTech Challenge Pro. This initial workshop program has helped us appreciate that entrepreneurship requires a team mindset and discipline.”

The KIC AgriTech Challenge Pro continues to nurture agribusiness innovations, combining technical training with personal and professional development to empower young entrepreneurs to revolutionize Ghana’s agricultural sector.