After  a successful GrowthAfrica Agribusiness incubator in quarter one of 2014, Nairobi based GrowthAfrica has announced the 13 agricultural enterprises that have joined its 6th accelerator class.

Listed below, the 13 were selected form over 165 top notch applications submitted, where only 45 were shortlisted and 24 teams were interviewed and allowed pitch to a panel of investors and mentors before the final thirteen.

The start-up teams will get the chance to work experienced facilitators, peers, key industry players, and a carefully selected group of successful mentors and access to investors at the annual GrowthAfrica venture forum. Apart from the 16 in house workshops, GrowthAfrica will also host experienced professionals to share their expertise to help the entrepreneurs grow their enterprises and scale to the next level.

“The accelerator program has a particular focus on growing operations and scaling the impact of social enterprises,” said Patricia Jumi, MD GrowthAfrica. “This is really an impressive crew of ambitious entrepreneurs and capable teams building high impact for profit enterprises solving challenges in different agriculture value chains across the country and East Africa.”

Agriculture is the backbone of Kenya’s economy and provides livelihood, employment and generates income for over 75 % of the Kenyan population. The sector is among the key drivers envisaged to deliver the 10% annual economic growth stipulated in the Economic Pillar of Vision 2030. Currently, agriculture directly represents 26 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and another 25 percent indirectly through its linkages with manufacturing, distribution and service industries in Kenya.

However the growth of the sector in Kenya is hampered by huge challenges faced by small holder farmers, large agribusinesses and key actors in the agriculture value chain that require sustainable solutions through scalable for profit enterprises.

The 13 include:

FarmbizAfrica.com, an online media company that specialises in disseminating relevant information to small scale farmers in Africa through their portal farmbizafrica.com

Animal Minerals & Allied Limited: Animal Minerals & Allied develops and sells hydroponic systems that enable livestock farmers to grow their own fodder and also vegetable farmers to efficiently and effectively grow their crops ensuring a consistent and regular quality to the market.

Aquaponics East Africa Limited: Aquaponics East Africa develops, supplies and installs aquaponicsystems for horticulturaland fish farmers in East Africa. Encouraging the sustainable production of vegetables, fruits and fish.

Essentia Kanan Limited: Essentia Kanan formulates, produces and sells bio fertilisers and soil amendments ensuring that small holder farmers have fortified soiland can increase their productivity using affordable organic fertiliser.

Green Savannah Limited: Green Savannah produces and markets pre-cooked enhanced, traditionalporridge products for children of all ages, ensuring that they have access to an affordable and nutritious mealdaily and on the go.

Kenya Biologics Limited: Kenya Biologics manufactures and distributes natural, organicpesticides for crop protection to small holder farmers in East Africa.

HomeRange Poultry: Homerange Poultry Kenya is primarilya hatchery specializing in improved kienyejichicken (IKC). They rear and breed improved indigenous chicken for the retail consumer market and aim to be the largest improved kienyejipoultry producing company in East and Central Africa.

MolaPlus Limited: MolaPlus manufactures microbial food supplements for the enhanced nutritional uptake and improved productivity in livestock and chicken. This increases the farmer’s produce production as well as their revenues

Premier Seeds Limited: Premier Seeds produce, package, market and distribute their own developed brand of hybrid vegetable seeds at affordable prices. They also provide the farmers with pertinent information on quality seeds and assist farmers achieve a quality harvest.

Sare Millers Limited: Sare Millers produces enhanced and fortified protein rich animal feeds that are sold to small holder farmers dealing with livestock and poultry through their one stop shop concept ensuring that the farmers have access to correct information and market information.

Saumu Centre Limited: Saumu Centre produces garlic bulbs, sells and processes garlicboth for industrial and home consumption.

Soko Text Limited: Soko Text improves the access of perishable agricultural products to kiosks in many urban slum areas by aggregating the necessary orders and delivering them at very affordable prices to the kiosk owners.