GrassRoots Hub, an entrepreneurial and innovation hub based in Sunyani, the Bono regional capital of Ghana, hosted yet another Sunyani West Startup Summit on 2nd September 2022, under the theme “Digitizing Agriculture for Sustainable Business Development and Job Creation in the Bono Region”.
The event forms the climax of the hub’s six weeks of intensive Web App Development training under the Pathway to Sustainable Employment (PaSE) program in partnership with Ghana Tech Lab. The PaSE is a training designed towards supporting the youth with the requisite Web App Development skills that will boost Agricultural innovations in the region, scale up the youth’s employability, and serve as a catalyst for grooming startups within the Sunyani enclave.
While giving the welcoming address, Ms. Diana Agyare, Hub Manager of GrassRoots Hub, highlighted the impact GrassRoots Hub is making in the Bono region, recounting how the hub has pushed more youth into starting their business. She further emphasized the importance of digitalizing agriculture in the Bono region, citing how digital technology and innovation hold the key of helping the Bono region to rake in more economic dividends beyond just the ‘’food basket’’ mantra. She finally admonished attendees, who were mainly; investors, entrepreneurs, national service personnel, startups in the agribusiness, farmers and traders, to take advantage of the present opportunities within the digital space.
On his part, Mr James Boateng, a tech enthusiast and the host of the Greena FM morning show, admonished startups to embrace partnership and teamwork. He later noted with concern the funding fatigue affecting startups. He, however, added that investors are willing to support legitimate startups. James later took the opportunity to encourage the startups gathered to take steps register their businesses to enable them to attract the right investors.
After the end of a dexterous pitching session, the judges of the day, including Clement Asiaw, Branch Manager Data Bank, Sunyani, Francis Kwashie –Love, CEO of House Forest and Engineer Joseph Owusu, a Senior Lecturer with the University of Energy and Natural Recourses Sunyani, adjudged AgriLab the winner for the pitching competition.
Whiles announcing the winners, James Boateng lauded team AgriLab for coming up with an outstanding and timely innovation that will help propel the funding challenges faced by farmers in the region.
AgriLab, is a startup focused on bridging the gaps between farmers and investors by connecting them on a common platform for mutual benefit to address lack of funding as experienced by farmers, particularly in the Bono region. In total, 8 startups had the opportunity to exhibit some of their products to the attendees for feedback and possible partnership.
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