Kosmos Innovation Center AgriTech Challenge Enters 5th Year
ACCRA, Ghana – February 10, 2020 – Kosmos Energy announces today the launch of the fifth edition of the Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) AgriTech Challenge.
From over 675 applications from young men and women across the country, 161 have been selected to join the program. Those selected were chosen because of their commitment, drive and passion to become successful entrepreneurs, creating jobs and economic growth for Ghana.
The new cohort of AgriTechies will now be trained and mentored to spot new business opportunities across the agricultural value chain. Over ten months, participants will learn key business skills and build their understanding of how to use technology and innovation to solve some of the toughest challenges in Ghana’s largest industry.
Joe Mensah, Vice President, Ghana Business Unit, Kosmos Energy said: “It’s a great pleasure to continue supporting innovation and job creation in Ghana’s agriculture industry. I look forward to welcoming this year’s cohort of AgriTechies, in particular the increased number of young women, who make up almost 40% of this year’s cohort.”
This year, the KIC in Ghana held its first Women’s Bootcamp for three days in December to support and encourage young Ghanaian women to become entrepreneurs and to join the AgriTech Challenge. The results show there were more than double the number of female applicants, and more than triple the number of women selected to join the Challenge.
During the ten-month AgriTech Challenge, AgriTechies will take part in a series of business pitch events, with the most promising teams awarded seed funding and incubation support to develop their idea into a real, sustainable business. Last year Kosmos opened the KIC Incubator, a Centre of Excellence to provide ongoing mentoring and coaching to businesses beyond the length of the AgriTech Challenge programme.
The KIC is Kosmos Energy’s flagship social investment initiative, first launched in Ghana in 2016, and now running in four countries across Western Africa. The AgriTech Challenge has found, trained, and supported over 500 young people in Ghana, and nurtured 14 of the most promising youth-led agribusiness start-ups, such as TROTRO Tractor, Kwidex, TechShelta and ProFish.
About Kosmos Energy
Kosmos Energy is a full-cycle deepwater independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on the Atlantic Margin. Our key assets include production offshore Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and Gulf of Mexico, as well as a world-class gas development offshore Mauritania and Senegal. We also maintain a sustainable exploration program balanced between proven basins (Equatorial Guinea and Gulf of Mexico), emerging basins (Mauritania, Senegal, and Suriname), and frontier basins (Cote d’Ivoire, Namibia and Sao Tome and Principe). Kosmos is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange and is traded under the ticker symbol KOS. As an ethical and transparent company, Kosmos is committed to doing things the right way. The company’s Business Principles articulate our commitment to transparency, ethics, human rights, safety and the environment. Read more about this commitment in the Kosmos 2017 Corporate Responsibility Report. For additional information, visit: www.kosmosenergy.com.
About the Kosmos Innovation Center
The Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) invests in young entrepreneurs and small businesses who have big ideas and want to see their country grow. Through customized programs, led by local experts and supported by partners, the KIC provides expert training, mentorship and seed funding to support innovation. It is Kosmos Energy’s flagship investment program, contributing to the creation of a health and diverse economy in the countries where it operates. The KIC is currently active in Ghana, Mauritania, Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire.