Scaling digital agriculture innovations through start-ups (SAIS)

Scaling Digital Agriculture Innovations Through Start-ups (SAIS) is a business development and acceleration program for African technology startups in the agriculture, food, and livestock sectors. The program's intervention logic is based on a market-driven approach: it supports African technology startups (and, since 2024, those in Sri Lanka) in becoming investment-ready and assists them in raising funds for their growth, thereby enabling them to deploy their innovations to more customers and users. The central objective is to scale up digital innovations with social impact by increasing user income in the agriculture/food sector. Participating startups gain access to the Investment Readiness Programme (IRP), a fully funded 6-month to 1-year investment preparation program with tailored support.

🌾 Accelerate digital agricultural innovations:
Enable AgTech, FoodTech, and ClimateTech solutions to scale commercially.

💰 Enhance investor appeal:
Improve the financial and strategic readiness of startups to increase their fundraising capacity.

📈 Increase end-user revenues:
Disseminate innovations that improve the incomes of producers, farmers, and other actors in the value chain.

🌍 Foster resilient and sustainable agriculture:
Promote solutions that address climate, food, and environmental challenges.