Microsoft and Pangea Trust Agri-food Accelerator Program

Are you an entrepreneur in Nigeria looking to get support with your business? The Agri-food Accelerator Program seeks to provide Agri-Food Tech Entrepreneurs in Nigeria with the knowledge and tools they need to start and grow successful and thriving Agri-food tech enterprises.

The startup accelerator program, brought to you by Microsoft, in partnership with Pangea Trust with the support of Seed Builders, is designed to foster a culture of innovation among African startups.

The Acceleration program will work to enable and empower Agri-food tech Entrepreneurs with the skills and resources needed to build successful and thriving Agri-food tech businesses across Nigeria. 

About the Agri-food Accelerator Program

The Agri-food Accelerator Program will be launched in the coming weeks and aims to scout and support 20 promising startups with disruptive innovation and technologies-driven businesses at the growth stage to solve problems in the food and agriculture sector in Nigeria.

During this program, there will be the use of various innovative modules to diagnose the gaps faced by the Startups, and then deploy appropriate support mechanisms such as training, business planning, mentorships, peer learning, and technical support to help the participating Agritech Startups stay afloat.

All of this will be aimed at developing Nigeria’s sustainable economic ecosystem as a vehicle for economic development and growth through job creation and poverty reduction. 

What will the Agri-food Accelerator Program be like?

The acceleration program is targeted at Nigerian agribusiness entrepreneurs looking to scale their businesses, expand their market reach and attract potential investors and strategic partners by providing access to industry experts/mentors, business fundamentals/technical workshops, introduction to investors/potential customers, and attractive incentives.

The Acceleration program will run for a period of 7 weeks.

During the session players will have interactive workshops, consulting sessions, business support services, one-on-one, and group mentoring sessions with a team of seasoned sector industry members and advisors.

The Accelerator Program shall be designed and delivered to cover topics like

• Go To Market
• Product Design & Development
• Sales & Marketing, and
• Investment Readiness

The aim is to provide the Cohort of startups with the knowledge and tools to engage with customers and investors.

The businesses will also have access to Microsoft platforms like the Founders’ Hub and the 10 best startups stand a chance to join the Global Social Entrepreneurship Program.

What are the benefits of applying to the Agri-Food Nigeria Accelerator?

The program has the following benefits for you:

1. Opportunity to receive investment training and linkages for high potential innovative businesses.
2. Access to Technical Support with Microsoft Partners
3. 7 weeks of intensive business development training
4. Access to a leading network of experts in Agriculture
5. Tailored coaching sessions to address your business needs and mentoring

By the end of the program, you would have learned these specialized skills, including;

1. Business Intelligence
2. Investor preparedness and engagement
3. Product development
4. Customer Validation
5. Customer acquisition skills
6. Design and presentation skills

Who is eligible for the Agri-food Accelerator Program?

Some of the eligibility criteria for the application include: 

• Nigerian Women and youth-owned post-revenue companies in agriculture and related industries.
• The business needs to have an existing working product and is generating revenue, 
• The founder must be between the ages of 18 and 35 years.
• All applicants should also have their businesses based in Nigeria addressing food value-chain opportunities. 
• They should also be operating a registered agribusiness venture at the growth stage, currently in operation and generating income. Additionally, at least one co-founder must be on the project on a full-time basis.

How to Apply to the Agri-Food Accelerator Program

You can get the application form Here with the deadline set for 15^th April 2022  at 11:59 PM WAT. 

The program will then start on 25th April 2022 and end on 10th June 2022. 

About Microsoft:

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. For more information, news, and insights from Microsoft, please visit Microsoft’s News Center Middle East & Africa.

The opportunity in Africa is immense, but there is a pressing need to adopt digital platforms to accelerate Africa’s economic growth and better enable Africans to participate in the global digital economy. Through the Africa Transformation Office, Microsoft focuses on four essential development areas – digital infrastructure, skilling, SMEs, and startups, supported by strategic partnerships with industry alliances and coalitions, to fuel investment in Africa and further establish the continent’s export of digital services.

About Pangea:

Pangea’s mission is to solve the biggest challenge in Africa through catalyzing different ecosystem players to accelerate innovations, we do this by unlocking diaspora remittances as an investment toward impact-driven African-founded startups.

Pangea is currently operating in East Africa where it provides African start-ups with access to investors, foundations, and development agencies to reach a global scale. Pangea Trust seeks to continue growing its reach and footprint on the continent as the go-to business accelerator and investment platform by providing;

1. Alternative innovative financial and investment products to Africa founded Businesses
2. Innovative solutions to support businesses
3. Business development services and investor readiness programs
4. Education and knowledge transfer program between diaspora and Africa founded the business
5. Innovation and co-created partnership solution towards creating financing and growth opportunities

To date, Pangea Trust has secured almost $1Million from partners such as Swedish International Development Agency, to mobilize and activate diaspora remittance as an investment to be channeled to Africa-founded businesses which play a critical role in rebuilding a more inclusive and sustainable economy.