Farmcrowdy, Nigeria's pioneering digital agriculture platform, has achieved a significant milestone by being selected as the sole African startup to join the prestigious Techstars Atlanta 2017 Class. This announcement, made by Techstars on Monday, July 17, confirmed Farmcrowdy's inclusion among 114 tech startups globally participating in the highly competitive accelerator program, in partnership with Cox Enterprises. Out of 42 diverse company applications, Farmcrowdy stood out as the only African representative.

Techstars is renowned as a Worldwide Network dedicated to fostering entrepreneurial success through various avenues and strategic partnerships. Its accelerator programs offer intensive, bootcamp-style training designed to propel promising startups forward. For Farmcrowdy, this opportunity presents a critical juncture for growth and expansion.

Onyeka Akumah, CEO of Farmcrowdy, expressed immense excitement about the selection. Speaking from Techstars Atlanta, Akumah highlighted the company's ambitious goals, stating, "We are super excited about this opportunity and will be looking forward to learning more from the Techstars Community on how we can scale our efforts from 1,000 currently engaged small-scale farmers to about 10,000 small scale farmers in the next 12 months."

Furthermore, Akumah detailed aspirations to forge stronger relationships with key agro-players both within and outside Nigeria, complementing existing partnerships. A core objective involves leveraging and amplifying governmental initiatives aimed at developing Nigeria's agricultural sector. Through the knowledge and networks gained from Techstars, Farmcrowdy intends to encourage more Nigerian youth and middle-class citizens to engage in agriculture, empowering them to become 'farmers without a farm' to create both social impact and financial returns.

The Q3 2017 class is set to embark on a rigorous program, featuring weekly mentor meetings, comprehensive classes, and specialized training across a spectrum of subjects, including marketing, sales, funding, and crucial technical and business support. All participating startups, including Farmcrowdy, will operate from Techstars Atlanta’s dedicated space at Ponce City Market, fostering a collaborative and dynamic environment for innovation.

Founded in 2016, Farmcrowdy operates with a clear mission: to end poverty one farmer at a time. The platform has already garnered significant recognition for its innovative approach, having been voted among the Top 25 Most Innovative Companies & Institutions Awards 2017 by BusinessDay and winning The Agro-Innovator of the Year Award 2016/17 by the Nigeria Agriculture Awards, underscoring its impact and potential in the agricultural technology space.