Applications have opened for the third edition of the Innovate Africa Challenge, launched by Smart Africa in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
The initiative offers $50 000 to scale a proven, artificial intelligence-driven solution for climate-smart agriculture, funding the practical deployment and validation of technology that delivers measurable benefits directly to farmers.
To be eligible, applicants must be legally registered start-ups with a minimum of two team members within Smart Africa member states.
The challenge comes as the continent's agrifood systems face severe, compounding pressures, including worsening climate shocks, food insecurity, declining natural resources, and limited access to timely agricultural data.
Rural communities and smallholder farmers also continue to face skills gaps, low digital adoption rates, and persistent economic inequalities.
It targets innovations between technology readiness levels three and six (from pre-seed to Series A), with deployment focused specifically on Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Priority is given to scalable solutions that actively serve smallholder farmers, women, and youth while adhering to responsible AI guidelines.
Under the theme “From Ideation to Deployment”, this year’s contest focuses on moving past prototypes to fast-track mature, actionable solutions.
The initiative specifically targets AI-powered innovations designed for precision agriculture, crop forecasting, pest detection, and climate risk modelling.
These solutions must be capable of functioning in low-connectivity, rural areas and integrating smoothly with existing national agricultural systems to optimise water use and strengthen climate resilience.
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