Applications are now officially open for the 2024 edition of the MEST Africa Challenge, a collaborative effort between the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa) and the Norwegian Embassy. This year, the prestigious challenge is dedicated to identifying and fostering exceptional agricultural technology (AgriTech) entrepreneurs who are actively working to address critical agricultural challenges prevalent across West Africa. The ultimate winning startup will be awarded a substantial $50,000 in equity funding, coupled with invaluable access to MEST’s extensive global network. This comprehensive prize package is designed to unlock crucial partnerships, provide expert mentorship, and open doors to significant investment opportunities, thereby accelerating the growth and global presence of the selected venture.

In the dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape of AgriTech, innovation requires the perfect conditions to flourish. While a multitude of African entrepreneurs possess bold and transformative visions, they frequently encounter significant hurdles in accessing the necessary resources and established networks that are vital for bringing their groundbreaking ideas to fruition. Organizers have emphasized that the 2024 MEST Africa Challenge, now celebrating its sixth edition, is specifically engineered to bridge this critical gap, providing the foundational support required for these emerging businesses to thrive.

The 2024 MEST Africa Challenge is aptly themed ‘Find Your Soil,’ a concept that offers participating startups the unique opportunity to truly “Find Their Soil” by receiving essential support, crucial funding, and expert mentorship. Commenting on the theme and the overarching intent of the challenge, Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor at MEST Africa, stated that the primary aim is to bolster the AgriTech ecosystem in a manner that empowers the entrepreneurs within it to succeed. Ravichandran elaborated, “‘Find Your Soil’ is a call to action for AgriTech innovators to discover the ideal environment where their vision can flourish. Through the MEST Africa Challenge, we aim to support this ecosystem by providing the necessary resources, visibility, and strategic support for these entrepreneurs to thrive.” MEST Africa is firmly committed to fostering job creation and stimulating economic growth across the African continent through dedicated software entrepreneurship initiatives. By offering specialized tech entrepreneurial training and strategic investment opportunities, the organization actively empowers Africa’s brightest minds to build and scale impactful businesses.

The eligibility criteria for the MEST Africa Challenge 2024 are meticulously defined, specifically targeting the agricultural technology sector in West Africa. Therefore, the challenge is open to startups originating from key West African markets, including Benin, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Togo. To qualify, applying AgriTech startups must be early-stage technology ventures, not older than three years in operation. They are also required to demonstrate a minimum of $5,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) and provide concrete evidence of consistently accruing this revenue over at least six months. Furthermore, applicants must not have cumulatively raised more than $1 million in total funding to date. Each startup must have a minimum of two founding team members, and while not strictly mandatory, it is preferable for the company to have been registered in Delaware. Their business model can encompass various forms, ranging from B2B to B2C, B2B2C, B2G, and other innovative structures. Finally, all participating startups and their representatives must be proficient and able to pitch their concepts in English.

The application period for the MEST Africa Challenge 2024 will officially close on October 4, 2024. Following this, the Top 20 Participants will be announced on October 14, 2024. Virtual semi-finals are scheduled to take place on October 29 and 30, 2024, with the date for the in-person finals to be announced subsequently. Interested AgriTech entrepreneurs are encouraged to utilize the provided application link to apply.

Since its inception, MEST has made substantial contributions, investing over $30 million into training more than 2,000 entrepreneurs and supporting the successful launch of 90 early-stage tech startups across a diverse array of sectors, including AgriTech, FinTech, SaaS, eCommerce, Digital Media, and Healthcare. This year’s MEST Africa Challenge presents an unparalleled opportunity for AgriTech entrepreneurs to truly “Find Their Soil” and propel their innovative businesses to new heights of success and impact.