{"id":8986,"date":"2026-04-23T03:25:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T03:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kenyatopstories.co.ke\/?p=8986"},"modified":"2026-04-23T03:25:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T03:25:52","slug":"youth-agritech-startups-secure-sh5-2-million-boost-to-scale-farm-innovations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kenyatopstories.co.ke\/index.php\/2026\/04\/23\/youth-agritech-startups-secure-sh5-2-million-boost-to-scale-farm-innovations\/","title":{"rendered":"Youth Agritech Startups Secure Sh5.2 Million Boost to Scale Farm Innovations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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<\/span><\/font><\/div>Wairimu Munyinyi-Wahome, Country Director Heifer International Kenya presents a cheque to Mukurweini<\/a>\u00a0Oil Enterprises Limited<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Ronald Njoroge <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Youth Agritech Startups Secure Sh5.2 Million Boost to Scale Farm Innovations<\/strong>

Kenyan youth-led agritech startups have secured over Sh5.2 million ($40,000) in funding, marking a significant step toward scaling innovative solutions aimed at transforming the country\u2019s agricultural sector<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The partnership with the Embassy of Sweden in Kenya through the Kenya Livestock Market Systems Project (KLMP) and the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC), reflects a growing shift toward commercially viable solutions, as noted by Joseph Murabula, CEO of KCIC\u00a0\u201cWe are encouraged by the quality and ambition of the enterprises we have seen through this process,\u201d\u00a0he said. \u201cWhat stands out is that these are not just ideas, but businesses that are responding to real farmer needs and showing the potential to scale. Through our work with Heifer International, we have seen how structured support, mentorship,\u00a0and technical assistance can help young innovators move from concept to market readiness, and that is where real transformation begins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mukurweini<\/a>\u00a0Oil Enterprises Limited took the largest share in the growth-stage category, winning $11,628 for its model of processing off-grade avocados into oil and other products, an approach designed to reduce waste while creating new income streams for farmers.<\/span><\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other top performers in the growth-stage category included\u00a0<\/span>Bellfeeds<\/a>, which placed second with $10,078, and Jolly Mushroom Enterprises, which took third place with $3,876.\u00a0<\/span>Zuphifarm<\/a>\u00a0finished fourth with $1,939.In the early-stage category, Dairy Sense won $6,202, followed by\u00a0<\/span>DroFarmer<\/a>\u00a0Ltd at $3,101, Soil Doctors Limited placed third with $2,326, while\u00a0<\/span>Chrisfa<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>Poultry finished fourth with $1,938.\u201cWe are creating a market where none existed before,\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i>said Mukurweini Oil Enterprises Limited co-founder Patrick Mutahi.\u00a0\u201cThis support allows us to scale and reach more farmers.\u201d<\/i>DroFarmer CEO Ken\u00a0<\/span>Mbuki<\/a>\u00a0said the recognition would help accelerate partnerships.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cValidation like this opens doors. It moves you from idea to implementation much faster,\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i>he said.The competition, run by Heifer International, focuses on identifying and backing young innovators whose solutions can improve productivity, resilience, and incomes in Kenya\u2019s agriculture sector, which employs a majority of the population.<\/span><\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2025\u201326 competition was implemented through a strategic partnership between the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC)<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Heifer International Kenya,<\/b>\u00a0demonstrating a shared commitment to advancing innovation in agriculture and climate resilience. The competition attracted a total of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>486 applications<\/b>\u00a0from across the country, and following a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process, it has been narrowed down to the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>top 18 finalists<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wairimu Munyinyi-Wahome, Country Director Heifer International Kenya presents a cheque to Mukurweini\u00a0Oil Enterprises Limited by…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kenyatopstories.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kenyatopstories.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kenyatopstories.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kenyatopstories.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kenyatopstories.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8986"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kenyatopstories.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8989,"href":"https:\/\/kenyatopstories.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8986\/revisions\/8989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kenyatopstories.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kenyatopstories.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kenyatopstories.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}