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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Four dynamic young innovators from Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria have been crowned winners of the 2025 AYuTe NextGen competition, a continental platform for youth-led agricultural technology innovations, hosted by Heifer International in Kampala, Uganda. The annual event, themed “AgTech Generation Rising”, gathered Africa’s young bright minds, investors, policymakers, and development leaders, seeking transforming agriculture through youth-driven innovation.
Over three days of pitching, networking, and deep discussions on the future of food, the 11 finalists selected from over 100 applicants across 10 countries showcased their tech-powered solutions to a high-level panel of judges. The innovations, targeting climate resilience and financial inclusion for smallholder farmers, reflected the urgent need to modernize African agriculture in the face of climate change, market volatility, and rising food insecurity.
In the Climate-Smart Agriculture category, Carolyn Mwangi, Founder and CEO of Kimplanter Seedlings and Nurseries (Kenya), emerged as the overall winner. Her enterprise provides climate-resilient seedlings, customized using data insights, to help smallholder farmers adapt to environmental stressors. “Winning AYuTe NextGen is not just a milestone for our team,” she said, “It’s a sign that Africa’s agricultural future will be shaped by innovation, data, and the determination of young entrepreneurs like us.”
First runner-up in the same category was Maryanne Gichanga, CEO of Agritechs Analytics (Kenya), who developed solar-powered sensors for farm pest alerts, soil health monitoring, and remote management through mobile apps.
In the Access to Finance and Markets category, Nana Opoku, CEO of Grow For Me (Ghana), took the top prize with his digital crowdfunding platform that connects farm investors with experienced growers. The innovation enables risk-sharing, profit generation, and better access to working capital. “This win is not just ours,” Opoku remarked, “It is a win for small holder farmers across Ghana.”
Richies Attai, Co-Founder and CEO of Winich Farms (Nigeria), secured first runner-up for his integrated digital platform that links farmers directly to processors while bundling insurance and credit services.
“This is not just a competition. It is a movement,” declared Surita Sandosham, President and CEO of Heifer International. “We are here to connect the dots between policy, capital, and innovation. When youth and technology converge, they become a catalytic force for agricultural transformation.”
He added that the AYuTe NextGen initiative, part of Heifer International’s broader strategy to empower youth and modernize food systems, positions agriculture as a tech-enabled, investment-worthy space for Africa’s youth.
Adesuwa Ifedi, Heifer’s SVP for Africa Programs, says “These young agripreneurs are not just solving agricultural problems, they are redefining agriculture as a scalable, profitable sector that can uplift millions and reshape economies.”
According to Ifedi, more than 2,000 AgriTech startups now operate across Africa many led by young people. Yet, early-stage financing, mentorship, and supportive policies remain scarce. AYuTe aims to bridge these gaps by providing not just prize money but mentorship, investor linkages, and follow-up technical assistance. “We are building investment-ready entrepreneurs,” Ifedi emphasized.
Dayo Aduroja, Youth and Innovation Lead for Africa, echoed this commitment: “AYuTe is a launchpad, not a finish line. Finalists receive support long after the competition ends, including access to accelerators, investor networks, and regional market entry.”
Hosted this year in Uganda, AYuTe NextGen 2025 attracted participants from across the continent, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Senegal. William Matovu, Country Director for Heifer Uganda, highlighted Uganda’s pivotal role: “We are proud to host this platform. With our strong youth and agricultural base, Uganda is ready to lead in unlocking the potential of AgriTech.”
The event also featured dynamic youth-led panels, with sessions such as “Growing a Unicorn in Agriculture,” “Same Soil, Many Paths,” and “Not Just Founders: Youth as Architects of the Agri-Future.” These discussions amplified youth voices calling for structural reform, ecosystem support, and localized innovation models.
For continuity of innovation in agriculture, governments were argued to create youth-friendly AgriTech policies and reduce regulatory burdens, investors to provide patient capital tailored for early-stage ventures, private sector actors to co-build infrastructure for digital agriculture, and mentors and research institutions to help localize and scale proven technologies.
AYuTe NextGen, short for Agriculture,Youth, and Technology, is Heifer International’s flagship youth innovation initiative. It is part of a long-term strategy to build sustainable food systems through local leadership and tech-driven models. Since its inception, it has identified and supported some of the most impactful youth-led agricultural innovations on the continent.
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