Zimbabwean Agri-tech startup, SMART Connect, has been named the winner of Zimbabwean leg of the DEMO Africa Innovation Tour. SMART Connect will now compete against other regional winners for the chance to pitch at the main event.
DEMO Africa would take place in Morocco for the first time after previous editions in Nairobi, Lagos, and Johannesburg.
The start-up Launchpad competition is visiting a host of cities across the continent to select start-ups for the event and has already named winners in Uganda and Kenya.
DEMO Africa’s Harare event took place last week and was won by SMART Connect. The start-up incorporates smallholder farmers into value chains through a mobile-web application and offers a range of services in order to facilitate agricultural development.
It will now compete against the winners from South Africa and Botswana for a place at the main event in Casablanca later this year.
The application window for DEMO Africa is still open, with the event giving entrepreneurs the chance to meet potential investors and buyers in addition to providing mentorship and tools worth more than US$25,000.
The DEMO Africa Innovation Tour is also heading to Gaborone, Cairo, Tunis, Casablanca, Lagos, Accra, and Yaoundé. Full details and how to apply are here.