Nairobi AgTech Innovation Evening

By Monica Pun

On August 7, 2024, we hosted our biggest FutureList event yet, bringing together around 80 innovators, founders, investors, and ecosystem builders at the new ALX Hub in Nairobi. It was a fantastic sector-specific evening for FutureList members, giving the opportunity for attendees to learn something new about the sector and foster new connections.

The evening started with an array of welcome drinks and canapés and an introduction by hosts Alan Mwangi, Entrepreneurship Development Manager at ALX Ventures and The FutureList and Monica Pun, Innovation Ecosystem Manager, EMEA at The FutureList.

The evening continued with dynamic conversations and invaluable insights from our esteemed panelists: Catherine Njeri, Co-Founder of Acre Insights, Trevor Siu Founder of Sio Valley Technologies and Florent Nduwayezu, Syndicate Investor and ClimateHack Nairobi Ambassador. 

The panel explored key challenges and opportunities in the AgTech space, highlighting the need for localized solutions tailored to Africa’s unique agricultural landscape. Here’s what we learnt:

• Catherine shared stories of local farmers encountering drones for the first time and emphasized the importance of crop health.
• Trevor discussed the fragmented value chain and his experience using technology and natural sprays to reduce food waste.
• Florent addressed the growing investment landscape in AgTech, noting that innovative climate-focused solutions are becoming increasingly attractive to investors, both for financial returns and impact metrics.

The evening wrapped up with a Q&A, interactive AgTech quiz (well done to the winners Lucia from Victory Farms and Andrew from Kenyan Wall street) and a continued networking session.

In summary, the Nairobi AgTech Innovation Evening was a huge success; innovators had the opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and explore potential collaborations. The FutureList team were also reminded about the importance of in-person sector-specific events – there’s nothing more powerful than building these focused relationships in real life.

A huge thank you to everyone who came to the event and contributed to its success. The energy in the room was palpable, reflecting the passion and commitment of everyone involved in driving the future of agriculture technology and climate resilience in Africa.

We look forward to seeing how the connections made and the ideas shared at this event will continue to shape the AgTech ecosystem in Kenya and beyond. Stay tuned for more exciting events as we continue to support innovation and growth in this vital sector.

If you’re interested in co-hosting or collaborating on an event, sponsoring a FutureList event or using our event spaces across Africa email Monica at [email protected].