The Milken Institute and the Motsepe Foundation today announced the 25 teams receiving Finalist prizes for the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech. The competition will award USD $2 million in total prizes for innovative solutions to increase economic value to farmers in Africa. At this stage, each Finalist team will receive $10,000 to further develop and test their designs.
More than 3,300 people from 105 countries across 6 continents registered for the prize, which launched in April 2021. They are all now part of the Milken-Motsepe Prize community, with access to free resources and the opportunity to connect with a global network of entrepreneurs using tech for good.
âGood ideas can-and will-change the world, and we are pleased to see how many people from around the world submitted their ideas to help farmers, alleviate poverty and transform our food systems in ways that will ensure food security for generations,â said Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Co-Founder and CEO of the Motsepe Foundation. âWe are excited to see the ideas of the finalists take shape and get tested in the field. More than tech-driven innovation, we need new approaches to agri-business that protect, preserve and enhance the contributions of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.â
An independent panel of expert judges determined the 25 teams who will receive funding and have one year to demonstrate the effectiveness of their ideas in field tests, which will be evaluated for their ability to:
Increase net economic value to the farmer
Increase productivity at harvest and/or decrease post-harvest loss
Reduce costs for farmers
Provide a viable and sustainable business model
Be implemented by small and medium-sized farms in Africa
Develop or integrate innovative technologies
âWe have structured the program to be beneficial to all who compete,â said Emily Musil Church, PhD, Senior Director at Milken Instituteâs Centre for Strategic Philanthropy. âMore than simply a competition, we are providing opportunities for these entrepreneurs to connect, experiment, grow, and get their ideas seen. Having a robust field test period allows for data generation and adaptation in a real-world environment so the innovations can be ready for scale and further investment.â
The Milken Institute has partnered with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support Finalist teams in conducting their field tests and measuring results. WFPâs deep understanding of the dynamics across the global food system and regional AgriTech trends across Africa bring immense value to the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech.
âAchieving Zero Hunger and No Poverty across the world are huge challenges that require radical action,â said Michael Dunford, WFP Regional Director for Eastern Africa. âPrize competitions like this one are powerful tools that can galvanize a global community of solvers to accelerate systems enhancement for smallholder farmers in Africa and help achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. The World Food Programme is proud to partner with the Milken Institute in this endeavour.â
In April 2023, the judges will award a $1 million Grand Prize, with additional prize money distributed among Second and Third Place winners, a prize for the Most Creative Use of Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies and a Peopleâs Choice Prize.
The names of the Finalists teams:
Automated Solar Powered Machines, Tanzania
(testing in Tanzania)
Team lead: Edmond Ngâwalago
Innovation: Solar-powered machines to deliver
bio-pesticides and fertilizers
Bebeque Limited, Nigeria (testing in Nigeria)
Team lead: Prince Anthony Okoro
Innovation: Mobile, modular biopower
Comet – ME, Israel (testing in Kenya)
Team lead: Elad Orian
Innovation: Solar-powered piston pumps
Cool Lion, CĂ´te dâIvoire (testing in CĂ´te dâIvoire)
Team lead: Richard Seshie
Innovation: Solar-powered refrigeration for
mangoes, tomatoes, and other crops
DigPHam, Kenya (testing in Kenya)
Team lead: Betty Mbithi
Innovation: Drones to deliver mangoes
Esoko, Ghana (testing in Ghana)
Team lead: Daniel Asare-Kyei
Innovation: Digital matchmaking platform for
increasing farming sales
Farmbetter, United Kingdom (testing in Kenya)
Team lead: John Choptiany
Innovation: App for advanced farming advice
FarmCommander, South Africa (testing in
South Africa)
Team lead: Tawanda Minya
Innovation: App for automation of farm irrigation
GreenPod Labs, India (African testing site to be
determined)
Team lead: Deepak Rajmohan
Innovation: Active packaging to slow down
ripening and prevent microbial growth
Hello Erf, Ethiopia (testing in Ethiopia)
Team lead: Alazar Michael
Innovation: Agri-mechanization digital platform
with business support service
IRRI â AfricaRice, India (African testing site to be
determined)
Team lead: Venuprasad Ramaiah
Innovation: Bioengineering to create floodtolerant rice
Karpolax, Uganda (testing in Kenya)
Team lead: Sandra Namboozo
Innovation: Extending the shelf-life of mangoes
through specially designed sachets
Koolmill Systems, United Kingdom (testing in
Nigeria)
Team lead: Penny Morton
Innovation: High-tech rice milling, including
3D-printed mini-mill
Kuronga, South Africa (testing in South Africa)
Team lead: Tendai Chitapi
Innovation: Machine learning-powered digital
marketplace for groundnuts, potatoes, and
tomatoes
Lemaculture, Botswana (testing in Botswana)
Team lead: Bakang Baloi
Innovation: Bio-molecular analysis, including RNA
sequencing, followed by big data analysis to
offer farm-specific strategies
Magofarm LTD, Rwanda (testing in Rwanda)
Team lead: Moses Katala
Innovation: Converting food waste into organic
fertilizer
MicroMek Flying Things, Malawi (testing in
Malawi)
Team lead: Dumisani Kaliati
Innovation: Drone solution with aerial imagery for
plant health
Molepse Bioresources, Kenya (African testing
site to be determined)
Team lead: Donatus Njoroge
Innovation: Bio-pesticides made from locally
available products
NjordFrey, Denmark (testing in Rwanda)
Team lead: Lars Hededam
Innovation: Closed-loop aquaponics to increase
vegetable yields
NovFeed, Tanzania (testing in East Africa)
Team lead: Otaigo Elisha
Innovation: Usage of organic wastes to grow
bacteria cultures
Producers Direct, Kenya (testing in East Africa)
Team lead: Brian Ngetich
Innovation: Data sharing, data analysis, and
farmer trainings via mobile phones
Safi Organics, Kenya (testing in Kenya)
Team lead: Samuel Rigu
Innovation: Decentralizing fertilizer production
through low-cost portable systems
SVRG – EcoLife, United Kingdom (testing in
Uganda)
Team lead: Bernie Jones
Innovation: Solar-powered farming enterprise
center offering cold- and dry-storage and
farmer trainings
Toothpick Project, United States (African testing
site to be determined)
Team lead: Claire Baker
Innovation: Cultivated fungal strains for weed
management
Village Infrastructure Angels, Slovakia (testing
in Nigeria)
Team lead: Stewart Craine
Innovation: Solar-powered, multi-crop milling
