By Ejekwu Chidiebere
“The Kenya Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program (KAEP), in three years of activity, has helped accelerate 30 startups, providing concrete support to the sustainable development of new agricultural value chains.”
Energy Window International (Media) – As part of its efforts to promote agriculture in Kenya, Eni Energies Kenya says it has presented awards to another set of agritech startups under the Kenya Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program (KAEP), an entrepreneurial development initiative by Eni National Energies Kenya, and Joule, Eni’s business school, in collaboration with the E4Impact foundation. The awards were presented in Nairobi, Kenya. Eni said it the third edition in the series.
EWI Publishers gathered that during the final event, ten finalists presented their solutions to a jury composed of investors, mentors, and agritech industry stakeholders, with five most promising projects selected after the screening for their potential in terms of scalability and impact, and received a financial award of €10,000.
“Through this initiative, we have witnessed the talent and determination of young entrepreneurs, who are not only capable of innovating but also of significantly transforming their local territories. By supporting their projects, we are directly contributing to the sustainable development of the country’s agricultural sector, generating a positive impact on the country and strengthening Eni’s entire agribusiness value chain, creating a virtuous bridge between startups and established enterprises,” says Daniela Morra, Managing Director of ENE Kenya.
“We are very pleased with our collaboration with Eni in Kenya” stressed Mario Molteni, CEO of E4Impact, “we have been able to cultivate an entrepreneurial ecosystem in which innovation and sustainability form the foundation for truly shaping the future. By supporting companies working in regenerative agriculture and the circular economy, and by contributing to the development of agritech value chains, we are contributing to inclusive economic growth that respects the environment. Through a partnership like the one between Eni and E4Impact, it is possible to pursue important objectives, both in terms of economic development and social justice”, Molteni concluded.
The startups awarded for their innovative projects were, VIANI FARM, a company that partners with farmers in the fruit and vegetable value chain, applying waste-to-energy technologies to enhance village-level production and extend the shelf life of products. Others were AGRIBORA, an agri-fintech enterprise “that integrates digital tools, financial services, and market access to support smallholder farmers and rural merchants.” MAGGY’S KIENYEJI LTD, also a recipient, is a company that reduces post-harvest losses by sustainably drying and packaging indigenous vegetables for local and international markets. BEE HAPPY ENTERPRISES specializes in the production of honey and honey-based products, leveraging IoT systems that enable precision beekeeping through remote monitoring and management. DROFARMER SERVICES combines AI technologies and drones to support smallholder farmers while integrating agrotechnology, financial tools, and sustainable practices to provide data-driven assistance.
EWI Publishers gathered that since its launch in 2023, the incubation and acceleration program has expanded its scope, supporting several entrepreneurial ventures through to the contracting phase with Eni. Disclosing that to date, across the three editions of the program, more than 300 innovative projects have been submitted and 30 startups have been accelerated, generating a social return on investment of 1.3: every euro invested has produced €1.3 of value for local communities.
Eni says it has been active in Kenya since 2012 with innovative projects aimed at promoting sustainable mobility by integrating the country into the biofuel value chain, as well as initiatives focused on improving communities’ access to water and healthcare services.