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Kenya’s Hello Tractor and Nigeria’s ColdHubs have recieved $1.5 million from Heifer International’s AYuTe Africa Challenge beating a number of agritech innovators from across the continent announced at the 2021 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) Summit. ColdHubs, represented by Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, founder and CEO, is a Nigerian business that provides solar-powered, walk-in coolers for smallholder vegetable farmers while Hello Tractor, represented by Jehiel Oliver, founder and CEO, is a Kenyan and Nigerian company that has become known across Africa as the “Uber of tractors.”

A Kenya-based company is among two winners of the inaugural Agriculture, Youth and Technology (AYuTe) Africa Challenge $1.5 million grant. ‘Hello Tractor’ founded by Jahiel Oliver won the grant from Heifer International alongside ColdHubs by Nigerian Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu.

The winners of the AYuTe Africa Challenge, hosted and conducted by Heifer International, have been announced. The two winners were selected for their innovative services and products that assist the agricultural sector and have been awarded $1.5-million collectively.

Hello Tractor, a Kenyan firm and Nigerian’s ColdHubs have won a US $1.5million grant to fund expansion plans in a bid to provide services to smallholder farmers. The two firms were declared winners of the inaugural Agriculture, Youth and Technology (AYuTe) Africa Challenge by Heifer International picked. Hello Tractor was feted for creative solutions to Africa’s farm machinery challenges. The company is known in Africa as the “Uber of tractors.”

We went to sleep last night as CEOs of African agritech companies emerging from the pandemic crisis. Today, we woke up as winners of the AYuTe Africa Challenge, a competition run by Heifer International for businesses that brings technological innovation to the continent’s agriculture.

Speaking during the Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) virtual Pre-Summit, Ewurabena Yanyi-Akofur, Director of Programs at Heifer Project International said the complexity of the available technology is also a challenge.

Six youth-led agribusinesses showcasing market-ready innovations for African farmers – which include mobile crop processing machinery, produce delivery services and e-commerce and farm financing platforms – won a share of the US$45,000 Pitch AgriHack 2021 competition today at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF).

A Kenyan and Nigerian firm have won a Sh165 million (US$1.5 million) grant to fund expansion plans in a bid to provide services to smallholder farmers. Heifer International picked Hello Tractor, a Kenyan firm and Nigerian’s ColdHubs as winners of the inaugural Agriculture, Youth and Technology (AYuTe) Africa Challenge.

ColdHubs of Nigeria and Hello Tractor of Kenya, have been selected as the winners of the inaugural AYuTe Africa Challenge that is hosted by Heifer International. The initiative was aimed at sparking technological innovations for Africa’s young farmers.

In a presentation at the World Economic Forum in June 2016, Kenyan-born Calestous Juma, a professor at Harvard University, explained the world’s perception of African agriculture. “From newspaper editors to TV anchors to bloggers, the default symbol of African agriculture is an African woman holding a hand hoe. This imagery highlights the drudgery African women face in farming,” he stated.