By Nicholas Waitathu
Heifer International Kenya has opened applications for the 2025 AYuTe Africa Challenge Kenya targeting to offer funding and technical support to youth-led start-up innovations who develop agritech solutions for smallholder farmers.
Wairimu Munyinyi-Wahome, Country Director, Heifer International Kenya says youth-led startups will be offered Ksh 9.4 million alongside mentorship, advisory support, and access to investor networks.
“We are looking for solutions that can show real improvements in the incomes and resilience of smallholder farmers. Our focus is on technologies with clear potential for impact, not just good ideas, but tools young entrepreneurs can build into sustainable businesses. AYuTe is one of the ways we are ensuring youth see agriculture as a modern, profitable, and technology-driven opportunity,” said Wahome.
The applications close at midnight on 28th, November 2025.
AYuTe, Agriculture, Youth and Technology, was created to expand the pipeline of youth-driven innovations capable of improving productivity, reducing production losses, and strengthening market access for farmers.
The initiative responds to a persistent challenge in Kenya’s agriculture sector while young entrepreneurs continue to develop promising ideas and tools, few have access to early-stage capital, coaching, and practical pathways to scale their solutions to rural communities.
Since its inception in 2022, AYuTe Africa Challenge Kenya has received over 600 applications from more than 350 youth innovators. The Challenge has provided funding support to 19 startups totaling USD 93,460 (Ksh 9.4 million) across previous editions to translate their business expansion strategies into tangible impact for smallholder farmers.
Beneficiaries have deployed practical solutions in the field. Linda Kamau, CEO and Co-Founder of Sow Precise Africa, shared how AYuTe has been instrumental in scaling her innovation and strengthening impact among smallholder farmers.
“AYuTe has given me the platform to connect with other founders driving innovations at different stages, which has motivated us as a company to grow and better understand what to expect along our journey. It has also provided the space to refine our ideas, evolve, and build sustainability, not only for our business but also for the smallholder farmers we serve, ensuring lasting impact,” said Kamau.
This year’s Challenge prioritises innovations in beef, dairy, poultry, and horticulture value chains, aligning with Heifer Kenya’s flagship Practice for Change (P4C) programme, which aims to support 625,000 households on their path to achieving a sustainable living income. Startups are invited to present solutions that tackle challenges in production, aggregation, post-harvest management, value addition, market access, and financing, areas where young entrepreneurs can accelerate growth and resilience for farming communities.
The 2025 edition is a collaboration with the Embassy of Sweden in Kenya, through the Kenya Livestock Market Systems Project (KLMP), and the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC).
“This partnership allows us to identify high-potential agritech solutions and support youth-led enterprises with the technical assistance, financing, and market linkages they need,” said Joseph Murabula, CEO at KCIC.