Picture this: a young entrepreneur in Nigeria, developing a mobile-based platform to help smallholder farmers get real-time market prices. In Kenya, another startup designs off-grid storage to reduce post-harvest losses among rural communities. In Côte d'Ivoire, a social enterprise is using AI to predict crop diseases before they spread.
These are the kind of change-makers SAIS (Scaling Digital Agriculture Innovations through Start-ups) is searching for.
A Launchpad for African Agri-Tech Trailblazers
The SAIS Investment Readiness Programme 2026 isn’t just another accelerator; it’s a mission-driven, free, year-long support journey designed specifically for African tech startups in agriculture, food, climate, livestock, and adjacent sectors like energy, biotech, fintech, circular economy, and logistics.
What’s on offer?
- Tailored advisory and mentoring, guiding you to become investment-ready
- Technical support tuned to your startup’s unique challenges
- Access to a vibrant community of founders, investors, and experts, not to mention visibility across networks
Applications close 28 September 2025. You can apply in English or French—because Africa speaks in many languages, but dreams in one.
Why SAIS 2026 Matters
1. Powering Agriculture with Tech, and Soul
Agriculture sustains African economies. Yet, smallholder farmers often lack access to markets, data, and fair prices. SAIS empowers solutions that bridge this gap and, in doing so, nurtures both impact and innovation.
2. A Visible Track Record of Results
SAIS is backed by GIZ (on behalf of Germany’s BMZ), with co-funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Bayer Cares Foundation, meaning your idea gets support with deep roots in international development and African entrepreneurship.
3. Pan-African Reach
SAIS isn’t confined to East Africa. It’s open to startups across Angola, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Cameroon, Ghana, and beyond, effectively supporting innovation across the entire continent
4. Impact That Multiplies
Past SAIS cohorts have produced compelling outcomes, raising funding, expanding customer reach, and delivering digital solutions to farmers across Africa.
The Human Story Behind the Numbers
Meet an AgriTech founder in Uganda who used SAIS 2025 to refine her business model, pitch deck, and digital platform with support including pitch coaching, branding, and investor introductions. Today, she connects over 20,000 farmers to fairer markets and climate productivity tools.
Then there’s a biotech startup in Ghana whose prototype used SAIS mentorship to become investment-ready; they later secured their first seed round to scale regenerative soil technologies across multiple regions.
SAIS isn't just about money; it accelerates growth, visibility, and trust for founders who are already doing remarkable work under challenging conditions.
Your Next Step Toward Scale & Sustainability
If you ask, “Is my startup ready?” That’s exactly the startup SAIS wants. No perfect pitch deck. No fancy office. Just:
- A startup registered in Africa
- Serving agriculture, food, livestock, climate, or adjacent value chains
- With a minimum viable product (MVP) and some traction (even early revenue or pilot users)
- A strong management team of at least two
You’ll receive:
- Year-round tailored support (virtual and in-person)
- Community and peer learning
- Technical assistance for growth areas
- Investment facilitation—pitch prep, investor intros, deal readines
What SAIS 2026 Represents for Africa
SAIS 2026 is more than an accelerator. It’s a bridge between ambition and action, between idea and impact, between Africa’s innovators and global opportunity. It says: “We believe in your solution. We’ll walk with you, virtually and literally, to help it scale.”
For startups rooted in African solutions to African problems, SAIS isn’t just a programme; it’s a lifeline to growth, purpose, and elevation.
Are you an AgriTech, ClimateTech, or FoodTech change-maker? There's never been a better moment to apply than now.
Apply before 28 September 2025 and join the movement redefining African agriculture, one innovation at a time. Click HERE for more information.
