SAIS Investment Readiness Programme for African Agtech Startups 2025

Applications are now open for the 2025 SAIS Investment Readiness Programme. The SAIS Investment Readiness Programme (IRP) offers a year-long, tailor-made company development programme for African tech start-ups in agriculture, livestock, food, and climate.

Requirements

To be eligible for the programme, your company must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Be registered in Africa
• Be for-profit
• Have a minimum viable product
• Have a digital or tech-enabled solution for the agriculture, food or livestock value chain
• Have a management team of at least two people
• Have evidence of traction (paying customers, first revenue)
• Contribute to climate change adaptation, income generation and/or food & nutrition security

Benefits

Selected start-ups receive services worth up to 35,000 EUR including:

• Mentorship and coaching with local and international experts tailored to your specific needs to develop and implement strategies for rapid growth.
• Additional services & technical resources to optimise certain key areas of your business, e.g. legal advice, online marketing, digital product optimization, design, and coding.
• Individual trainings, e.g. pitch training, growth strategy, data analytics & management, term sheet, valuation, market analysis, marketing & sales.
• Investment and partnership facilitation, e.g. guidance on fundraising strategy, preparation of fundraising rounds, support for due-diligence processes, introduction to investors & funds.
• Networking and showcasing opportunities at two in-person community events scheduled back-to-back with the Africa Tech Summit in Nairobi, and one additional sector conference (travel costs for one representative from each start-up are covered by the programme).
• Community exchanges and peer-learning, e.g. virtual group trainings and workshops, company visits, deal rooms, topical exchanges and inputs from external speakers and guests.