Youth-led agritech startups win AYuTe Africa Challenge
TANZANIAN youth-led agritech startups have emerged winners of the AYuTe Africa Challenge Tanzania Cohort II, the initiative that attracted over 260 applications nationwide.
Heifer International Tanzania Country Director, Mark Tsoxo, said this year’s winners, whose innovations range from post-harvest loss solutions and pest management to cost-effective animal feed production and drone technology for soil analysis and fumigation, will collectively receive 22,500 US dollars in grant funding.
“The AYuTe Africa Challenge serves as a catalyst for scaling high-potential agritech startups, empowering young African entrepreneurs who are harnessing innovation and technology to transform smallholder farming across the continent.
“By providing access to finance and strategic support, we empower young entrepreneurs to turn groundbreaking ideas into sustainable solutions,” he said.
The competition organised by Heifer International Tanzania, showcases breakthrough technologies that address critical challenges in the country’s agricultural sector, where smallholder farmers account for 80 per cent of agricultural production.
Heifer International remains committed to ending hunger, creating opportunities for youth and accelerating Africa’s agricultural progress through innovative solutions that create a lasting impact.
Mr Tsoxo said the competition highlighted the growing role of youth in transforming the country’s agricultural sector through innovation and technology.
The AYuTe Africa Challenge Tanzania, an initiative of Heifer International AYuTe NextGen, is an acceleration programme that awards grants to youth who leverage innovation and technology to reimagine food production and agriculture in Africa.
The programme empowers agritech youth startups with funding to enhance scalability, along with mentorship and training in leadership, project management and financial management.
Under the theme “Empowering Generations: From Legacy to Innovation,” this year’s Demo Day showcased solutions designed to address significant challenges faced by smallholder farmers across the agricultural value chain.
The 2025 overall winner was MIL-Animal Nutrition which walked away with 10,000 US dollars, the first runner-up 7,500 US dollars was Mbeya Oil Cado, an innovative agritech startup which uses avocado ‘rejects’ to produce cooking oil, using a small manufacturing machine.
Meanwhile, Dry Food emerged the second-runner up and secured 5,000 US dollars in funding. The agritech startup reduces post-harvest loss of tomatoes by producing tomato powder which can be used as a culinary ingredient.
The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Permanent Secretary, Mr Riziki Shemdoe, said the project is a strategic effort to spur youth engagement in agriculture while transforming the sector and enhancing food production capacity for smallholder farmers.
