NovFeed, a biotech startup in Tanzania, wins $1 million

The “Milken-Motsepe Prize in Agritech” has named Tanzanian biotech startup NovFeed as its first-place winner. 

The startup won a $1 million reward for its accomplishment. 

The Milken-Motsepe prize for agritech is the first in a line of multiyear, multimillion-dollar innovation challenges and programs to enhance technological progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Karpolax, a business with headquarters in Uganda, received a $300,000 prize for coming in second. The firm won the award for its use of nanotechnology to extend the shelf life of produce without diminishing nutritional content. 

For its biotech innovation to assist rice farmers protect their crops from flooding, IRRI-AfricaRice placed third and received a $150,000 prize.

Additionally, there were two $100,000 bonus prizes announced. 

25 finalists teams were chosen by an independent panel of experts who will each get $10,000 to develop and test their solutions in order to increase the economic worth of small and medium-sized farms in Africa. 

Participants also earned a number of unique advantages, such as admission to a tuition-free experiential learning program provided by Global Innovation Catalyst in association with Stanford Online, where they received coaching for their pitches, feedback sessions, and mentoring from business experts. 

At the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, California, the winners were announced.

More than 3,300 participants from 105 nations on six continents enrolled for the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech when it was announced in April 2021. 

Read more on Tech Gist Africa:

Ubongo, an  edtech startup based in Tanzania, has received a $27.8 million grant from the LEGO Foundation

Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) competition has selected winners from Tanzania, Kenya, and Egypt

Nelly Cheboi, a Kenyan tech pioneer, has been named CNN Hero of the Year