Phospholutions wins the IFA/UM6P Africa AgTech Startup Showcase Prestigious industry prize fosters sustainable solutions for African agriculture
Prague, Czech Republic, May 22, 2023
Phospholutions has been selected by agricultural industry leaders as the winner of the IFA/UM6P Africa AgTech Startup Showcase at the IFA Annual Conference in Prague. Phospholutions beat seven other startups to secure the grand prize of €20,000, during a competitive, live final round judged by a jury of experts and with voting by Annual Conference delegates. Farmer Lifeline Technologies came second and was awarded a runner-up prize of €10,000.
The Africa AgTech Startup Showcase was launched by the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) and the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) to provide a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to connect with professionals, experts and investors from all over the world. The competition is aimed at AgTech startups working on innovative solutions that can be adapted to the African context to ensure the sustainability and inclusivity of its agriculture.
The eight finalists were:
- Phospholutions, which develops technologies to increase fertilizer efficiency, affordability, and minimize the environmental impact of global phosphorus use.
- Natura Crop Care, which offers innovative, patented climate-resilient solutions for sustainable soil health, reducing carbon footprint and doubling farmers’ incomes.
- Agri IOT, which is developing Croptune, a real-time mobile application that recognizes nutritional deficiencies in crops. With a simple one-time setup and ongoing analysis, Croptune is a solution to optimizing farmers’ operational costs.
- Foodlocker, a farming-as-a-service platform that connects African smallholder farmers with large buyers through market access and precision agriculture. Foodlocker supports farmers with access to inputs, credit, expertise, and markets.
- Albo Climate, which offers a remote and accurate solution for quantifying, mapping, and monitoring carbon sequestered in ecosystems worldwide.
- Farmer Lifeline Technologies, which has developed a solar-powered device that scans crops and alerts farmers to pests or diseases while providing recommendations on fertilizers or pesticides.
- Agricolleges International, which is a cloud-based online learning institution that provides affordable, accessible and industry-relevant education and training in agriculture and related agri-industries.
- Safi Organics, which envisions a world where rural underserved communities are self-sufficient in their crop production and consumption of agricultural inputs and commodities through decentralized fertilizer production.
Hunter Swisher, CEO, Phospholutions said: “Being recognized by the IFA/UM6P Africa AgTech Startup Showcase is a tremendous honor. This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our team and will further our mission of creating sustainable agriculture solutions for Africa and beyond. I look forward to partnering with the fertilizer industry to further develop our solution and bring it to the market at scale.”
Esther Kimanik, Founder and Managing Director, Farmer Lifeline Technologies] said, "Participating in the IFA/UM6P Africa AgTech Startup Showcase has been an amazing experience for us, and we are humbled to have been selected as runner-up. Our solution is designed to address critical challenges facing African agriculture, and this recognition shows that we are on the right track. We are grateful for the opportunity to connect with other leaders in the industry and look forward to continuing our mission to create positive change in African agriculture."
The showcase was sponsored by OCP and IRM, two global fertilizer suppliers, with the aim of providing a platform for entrepreneurs to connect with various experts and key players in the AgTech industry and promoting the development of innovative and sustainable solutions adapted to the African agricultural context.
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IFA contact information
Claire Newell
Director, Communications & Marketing
cnewell@fertilizer.org
+44 (0)7928 529 257
About the International Fertilizer Association (IFA)
The International Fertilizer Association (IFA) was founded in 1927 and is the only global fertilizer association, with some 450 members in 70 countries and a mission to promote the efficient and responsible production, distribution and use of plant nutrients. This mission plays a critical role in helping to feed the world sustainably. IFA represents providers of plant nutrition solutions. Members include fertilizer producers, traders and distributors, as well as their associations, service providers to the industry, research organizations, AgTech startups and non-governmental organizations.
www.fertilizer.org
LinkedIn: international-fertilizer-association-ifa
Twitter: @FertilizerNews
UM6P Contact Information
About Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P)
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) is a Moroccan non-profit research university. Its main campus is located in Benguerir, near Marrakech, with branches in Rabat and Laayoune. The university is an applied research and innovation-oriented institution committed to economic and human development, with a focus on Africa.
UM6P prioritizes research and innovation relevant to Morocco and Africa by focusing on topics such as industrialization, food security, sustainable development, mining, behavioral and social sciences. It federates a number of schools and research institutes, covering science and technology (agriculture, mining, energy, medicine, chemistry, computer science...), social sciences and business administration.
The University welcomed its first cohort of students in 2013 before being officially inaugurated on January 12, 2017. Since then, it has continued to grow into a leading research institution dedicated to collaboration between Africa and the rest of the world. As such, UM6P has entered into numerous partnerships with universities in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas.
www.um6p.ma
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/school/um6p/
Twitter: @UM6P_officiel