MEST Africa Challenge 2024 For Agritech Businesses (Up to $50,000 in Equity Funding)

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Applications are open for MEST Africa Challenge 2024. As MEST continues to deepen her influence on Africa’s tech landscape, the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) remains Africa’s premier pitch competition for Africa’s emerging tech entrepreneurs, bringing together relevant stakeholders all across the continent and globe to learn more about the happenings on the tech scene. This year will mark the 6th edition of MAC. MEST will provide the winning startup with investment capital, coaching and access to a global network of resources and partners as they build and scale successful businesses that add value to African economies and livelihoods.

In the rapidly advancing world of AgriTech, innovation requires the right environment to thrive. While many African entrepreneurs have bold and transformative ideas, they often encounter significant barriers in accessing the resources and networks necessary to bring these ideas to life. MAC 2024 aims to bridge this gap by offering startups the opportunity to “Find Their Soil,” providing vital support, funding, and mentorship to ensure their visions take root and flourish.

“‘Find Your Soil’ is a rallying cry for AgriTech innovators to discover the optimal environment for their ideas to grow,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor at MEST Africa. “Through the MEST Africa Challenge, we are committed to nurturing this ecosystem by providing the resources, visibility, and strategic support that these entrepreneurs need to thrive.”

This year, contestants for MAC will be based in West Africa with a focus on the following key markets: Benin, Cape Verde, Côte D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mali and Togo. For the first time, MAC will also place a sectoral emphasis on agri-tech, recognizing its immense potential to drive sustainable development and economic growth in Africa.

MEST Africa Challenge Benefits

The Grand Prize of MAC 2024 is $50,000 in equity investment, access to MEST Portfolio resources and strategic partnerships, 1 year professional business coaching in addition to other benefits and prizes for the overall winner.

Eligibility Criteria for MEST Africa Challenge

Early-stage Agritech startup
Monthly Recurring Revenue: A minimum of $5k
Funding raised: $0 to $1M cumulative
Years in existence: 3 years and below
Traction: At least 6 months of recurring revenue
Must be operating in one of the 14 MAC countries (Benin, Cape Verde, Côte D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mali and Togo)
Founding team: At least 2 founding team members
Registered in Delaware (This is preferred)
Any business model (B2B, B2C, B2B2C, B2G etc…)
All participants must pitch in English.