SAIS Investment Readiness Programme 2027 For Livestock Start-ups (Up to €15,000 in Technical Support + Trip to Sankalp Africa Summit, Nairobi)

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Applications are open for SAIS Investment Readiness Programme 2027. Are you an African start-up building a technology-driven venture in dairy or aquaculture? Are you ready to scale your impact and attract investment? The Scaling digital Agriculture Innovations through Start-ups (SAIS) programme is accepting applications for its 2027 Livestock Investment Readiness Programme, which supports African startups developing technology-driven solutions for livestock and aquaculture businesses.

The programme targets ventures working to improve animal health, feed and nutrition, genetics, dairy production and aquaculture.

SAIS Investment Readiness Programme Benefits

A one-year, tailor-made support programme including:

Up to €15,000 in technical assistance budget for consultancies, expert support, legal advice, online marketing, licenses, certifications, ESG governance, product optimisation, market entry strategies, customer acquisition & sales campaigns, marketing & PR, graphic design, employee training, and more.
Fully sponsored trips to two in-person community events back-to-back with the Sankalp Africa Summit in Nairobi (February of each year), and one additional sector conference.
Investment and partnership facilitation through invite-only pitch sessions with a curated network of investors, bespoke introductions to investors & funds, guidance on fundraising strategy and due diligence.
A community of 100+ portfolio companies.

Additional opportunities for eligible start-ups:

SAIS Scale-up Grant of up to €40,000 that supports start-ups from the SAIS community that are ready to scale their market reach and deepen their impact.
Access to revolving working capital loans of up to €50,000 with 9-month maturity at 1.5% interest.

Focus Areas

They are looking for innovative, technology-driven start-ups strengthening livestock value chains across Africa, with a particular focus on:

Dairy: Animal health, genetics, feed and forage, particularly relevant to dairy value chains in East Africa (Kenya and Ethiopia).
Aquaculture: Genetics and feed innovations, particularly relevant to aquaculture value chains in West Africa (Nigeria and Senegal).

Start-ups based in other African countries are equally encouraged to apply, these must prove that their innovations, solutions or business models offer relevant learnings or opportunities to strengthen these priority value chains.

Eligibility Criteria for SAIS Investment Readiness Programme

Geography & Legal-Entity
For-profit and registered in Africa
Team
- Management team of at least two people
Fundraising Stage
- Pre-seed through Series A
Traction
- Atleast MVP, ideally recurring revenue, paying customers and established partnerships
Impact Alignment
- Strengthening value chains in dairy and aquaculture
Tech Angle
- Use tech to scale

How The Programme Works

No equity taken. No generic accelerator curriculum. Instead, you receive tailored, hands-on support from a dedicated SAIS Navigator to address your company’s most pressing growth and investmentreadiness challenges.

To make the most of the programme, selected start-ups are expected to:

Dedicate time: Appoint a member of the management team as the main SAIS contact, committing an average of two hours per week throughout the programme.
Participate in community events: Send at least one team member to two in-person SAIS community events (SAIStival).
Share progress data: Provide regular updates on key business indicators, including revenue, users, customers, funding raised and employees, throughout the programme and for at least one year afterwards. All data will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.
Support impact assessments: Facilitate access to customers or clients for surveys assessing the impact of your product, service or technology.
Collaborate with experts: Work actively with assigned experts and service providers to implement agreed support measures, including sharing relevant business information and documents where necessary.

Programme Timeline

15 November 2026: Deadline to apply(opens in new tab).
16 – 30 November 2026: Screening and interviews with applicants.
December 2026: Communication of selection decision.
January 2027: Virtual kick-off and onboarding.
22. February 2027: SAIStival 2027, Nairobi, Kenya.
24 – 25 February 2027: Sankalp Africa Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.
March 2027 to February 2028: Deployment of the investment readiness programme services & budget for your support needs, an additional conference visit and virtual check-ins with your SAIS advisor.
February 2028: Graduation at SAIStival 2028.