MEST Africa Releases AgriTech Report Highlighting Innovations and Investment Opportunities Transforming West African Agriculture
13 January 2026, Ghana: The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa), widely recognised as a leading launchpad for African technology entrepreneurs, has unveiled the MEST Africa AgriTech Report, a comprehensive analysis of the trends, startups, and investment opportunities shaping the future of agriculture in West Africa.
Released as part of the 2024 edition of the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) and developed in partnership with the Norwegian Embassy in Accra, the report examines how locally driven innovation is addressing some of the region’s most persistent agricultural challenges. These include post-harvest losses, inefficient market linkages, limited access to finance, and climate-related pressures faced by smallholder farmers.
The report highlights how AgriTech innovators across the region are leveraging mobile-based platforms, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and solar-powered infrastructure to build scalable, farmer-centric solutions. These technologies are increasingly enabling better price discovery, improved storage and logistics, mechanisation suited to local conditions, and more resilient value chains.
“Agriculture has always been the backbone of West Africa’s economy, but today we are witnessing the emergence of a new chapter—one powered by innovation, local ingenuity, and technology,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor and MAC Lead at MEST Africa. “This report captures that transformation and underscores the need for stronger collaboration among entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to ensure AgriTech delivers meaningful impact at the farm level.”
Drawing on data, interviews, and case studies from five key West African markets—Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Benin—the report profiles more than 40 AgriTech startups delivering measurable outcomes. Among them is Ghana-based SAYeTECH, winner of the MEST Africa Challenge 2024, which focuses on manufacturing locally appropriate mechanisation tools, and Nigeria’s ColdHubs, whose solar-powered cold storage units have reportedly saved over 40,000 tonnes of fresh produce from spoilage.
Despite this momentum, the report notes that AgriTech currently attracts only around 4% of total venture capital investment across Africa. This gap, according to MEST Africa, represents a significant opportunity for investors seeking scalable solutions that combine commercial viability with food security, climate resilience, and inclusive economic growth.
Ecosystem enablers such as Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) and CcHUB, alongside MEST Africa, continue to play a critical role by supporting early-stage entrepreneurs with capacity building, seed funding, and market access. However, the report calls for deeper investment in data infrastructure, rural connectivity, and human capital to unlock the next phase of AgriTech scale-up.
“Our objective is not only to spotlight innovation but to catalyse collaboration,” Ravichandran added. “With the right investments in people, infrastructure, and policy alignment, Africa’s AgriTech ecosystem can scale sustainably—ensuring technology truly works for farmers first.”
Since its inception in 2008, MEST Africa has trained and supported more than 2,000 entrepreneurs and invested in over 90 startups across the continent. The MEST Africa Challenge remains its flagship pan-African pitch competition, designed to identify and accelerate high-potential technology ventures with the capacity to drive long-term impact.
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