Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology Africa (MEST), in partnership with the Norwegian Embassy, has announced the sixth iteration of the MEST Africa Challenge.

This year's competition aims to identify and promote noteworthy agri-tech businesses tackling key agricultural challenges in West Africa.

The MEST Africa Challenge 2024 invites start-ups from West African markets such as Benin, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Togo.

To be eligible for the MEST Africa Challenge 2024, companies must be an early-stage tech start-up with a monthly recurring income of at least $5,000 and have raised funds: $0 to $1 million cumulative, three years of existence, at least 6 months of recurring income, at least two founding team members, and registered in Delaware (this is recommended).

The winning start-up will get $50,000 in equity capital as well as access to MEST's network, which, according to the organisers, opens significant partnerships, mentorship, and investment opportunities to help them grow and expand globally.

"‘Find Your Soil’ is a call to action for agri-tech 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,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, portfolio advisor, MEST Africa.

Since its inception, MEST said it has invested over $30 million into training more than 2,000 entrepreneurs and has supported the launch of 90 early-stage tech start-ups across sectors including agri-tech, fintech, SaaS, e-commerce, digital media, and healthcare.