Sesi Technologies, a Ghanaian agritech startup, won 2nd place in the idea category in the GIST Tech-I Competition during the Global Entrepreneurship Conngress held in Bahrain from 15th to 18th April 2019.
GIST Tech-I ( www.GISTnetwork.org) is an annual competition that challenges aspiring science and technology entrepreneurs in 132 emerging economies to pitch their ideas or startups to experts and the general public. The competition is part of the U.S. Department of State’s Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) initiative and has been implemented by the American Association for the Advancement of Science since 2014.
This year, more than 500 innovators from emerging economies worldwide submitted their ideas or startups to GIST Tech-I.
Sesi Technologies was the only Ghanaian startup out of 24 finalists from 18 countries from around the world who competed for over $30,000 in cash and $200,000 in startup resources in Bahrain.
All 24 finalists received two days of intensive entrepreneurial skills training, mentorship, and the opportunity to network with global leaders in their fields.
As the 2nd place winner in the idea category, Sesi Technologies received $3000 in startup funding and $15,000 in Amazon Web Services Credit to help develop their FarmSense further.
When launched, their project, FarmSense, will help smallholder farmers in Africa increase productivity and yield by up to 50%. FarmSense uses sensor technology to analyze the soil and make personalize recommendations to farmers to help them make data driven decisions about their farms and eliminate guesswork.
Two other Africans from Kenya and Uganda also won prizes at the GIST TECH-I Competition.
Representing the Ghana government at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress was Mr John Kumah, the CEO of National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP), who congratulated the Cofounder of Sesi Technologies, Isaac Sesi on the award.
The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP) is a flagship policy initiative of the government of Ghana with the primary objective of providing an integrated national support for start-ups and small businesses.
NEIP primarily focuses on providing business development services; startup incubators and funding for young businesses to enable them grow and become successful.
Sesi Technologies is passionate about transforming agriculture in Africa through technology to help farmers climb out of poverty.
