After an intense pitch, 6 Rwandan startups emerged as winners in a food challenge organized by the UN World Food Program (WFP) and Impact Hub Kigali (IHK), and each startup walked away with $ 50,000. The IGNITE Food Systems Challenge aimed at investing in and supporting Rwandan ventures that are contributing to improving food security in Rwanda. The competition began with a nationwide campaign that received over 280 applications, from which 12 of the most innovative and entrepreneurial solutions were preselected. The 12 pre-selected ventures comprised seven startups, four SMEs, and one cooperative and work in different sectors, including waste management, food production, animal farming, and transport and logistics. The co-founder of Ironji Ltd pitching it’s venture in the exhibition Photo. Impact hub Kigali. Following the Pitch, the six startups that impressed the judges were awarded $ 50,000 each, bringing the total prize pool to $ 300,000 and a six-month accelerator program. Below are the 6 startups that emerged as winners after the pitch. Carl Group is a youth-led project that was created when entrepreneurs realized that adding value to orange-fleshed sweet potatoes could encourage people to eat more of the healthy crop. The company presently produces and distributes orange-fleshed sweet potato bread and biscuits. These products are high in beta-carotene, which is the primary source of Vitamin A, and hence contribute to addressing Rwanda’s high levels of Vitamin A deficiency among young children and pregnant women. Ironji Ltd is a youth-led venture that helps agribusinesses and other businesses to get low and affordable transport for their products. Ironji connects clients easily with drivers who are reliable and ready with a dynamic pricing model to make a stable and predictable price paradigm. With all of that, they ensure the security of one’s package. The idea was inspired by the want to match the demand and the scarcity of products. Mago farms is a waste-to-nutrient insect-tech startup that converts food waste and post-harvest losses into organic fertilizer and protein for animal feed formulation. The company converts food waste into biomass and fertilizers. It is set out to provide a more environmentally beneficial alternative for food losses across the agricultural value chain in Africa. Aflakiosk is a mobile lab that provides voluntary testing services of maize and capacity building for maize farmers, traders, and cooperatives, allowing them to understand the quality of the maize they are trading and enable them to access premium markets. Aflakiosk serves mainly in reducing the consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated maize products that affect humans and livestock. Aflafiosk Getting awarded afer a successful Pitch. Photo Kigali impact Hub. Zean is an agro-processing company that devotes its efforts to reducing post harvests loss. The company is doing it by producing banana chips from Bananas. The company is focusing on SDG 2; no hunger and no poverty. Uruhimbi Kageyo Cooperative: This is a youth cooperative focused on solving the issue of the high cost of animal feed by providing affordable and nutritious animal feed through Hydroponic technology with water in use. This is done by technologically cultivating and selling green fresh livestock feeds(fodder) to farmers currently in Rwanda. The fodder is cost-effective and has subsidized the feeding burden. Milk increase in cows, Yellow egg yolk in eggs, weight increase in pigs is proven with Hydroponics fodder feeding. Carl Group getting awarded after Pitching their venture. UKC getting awarded after a successful Pitch Photo. Courtesy All startups pitched their ventures in front of the judges. Photo. Impact hub kigali.
