The UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) has announced winners of its Grand Challenge Pitch event: Kodu Technology Limited, Delimush, Agri Mercab, and Wobil Technologies. The event was funded by the UK government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), through its West African innovation project, Sankore.
The Grand Challenge is a competitive programme designed to identify and support high-potential agricultural innovations and enable them to scale. The initiative, under the Sankore Programme focuses on strengthening West Africa's innovation ecosystem and scale impactful solutions across the region. The selected innovations will now proceed to receive commercialisation support to help them scale their businesses as the next phase of the initiative begins.
Out of 70 applicants, 30 innovators were shortlisted, and 12 finalists were invited to pitch their solutions to a panel of investors, experts, and project partners.
Speaking on the process, Shirgade Laryea, Senior Trade Services Manager at the UKGCC, remarked:
Throughout the Programme, the UKGCC and its partners – FCDO, Results for Development (R4D), and Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology (MEST) aimed to strengthen Ghana-UK partnerships in science, technology, and innovation, while deepening our understanding of innovators’ needs and the challenges they face.”
To prepare participants, UKGCC and its partners; FCDO, Results for Development (R4D), and Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology (MEST) hosted innovation workshops and masterclasses in Accra and Kumasi in March 2025. Over 250 innovators attended sessions on commercialisation, investor readiness, and intellectual property.
The four winning innovations
The finalists were assessed based on market readiness, proof of concept, potential for revenue generation, impact, and alignment with government structures to support scalability. Scores were validated by the Sankore Team, FCDO, private sector stakeholders, and the innovators themselves.
The four winners are:
- Kodu Technology Limited - An agribusiness and social impact company producing affordable, eco-friendly sanitary pads from plantain and banana stems.
- Delimush – A food innovation company turning perishable crops like mushrooms and tomatoes into chemical-free, shelf-stable foods that last up to two years.
- Agri Mercab – A waste management company converting organic waste into valuable resources through community-based black soldier fly (BSF) facilities.
- Wobil Technologies – An agritech enterprise reducing post-harvest losses with climate-smart, locally made agricultural machinery, rounded up the top four innovations.
Dorcas Amoah Lartey, Marketing Strategist & Customer Experience Enthusiast, described her experience as a judge as both inspiring and hopeful.
It was eye-opening to see how much innovation is coming from Ghana’s youth. It’s encouraging to see young people developing solutions for the agricultural sector. Whether they won or not, I urge all participants to apply the feedback they received and keep refining their ideas. Each of them has a bright future.”
Support for winners
As part of a package of commercialisation support, the winners will receive strategic guidance and bespoke assistance to advance their market readiness and scalability. They will also benefit from capacity-building and mentorship programmes delivered by UKGCC and its network partners.
As the Sankore initiative moves into its next phase, the UKGCC and its partners remain committed to nurturing innovation and fostering collaboration between Ghana and the UK. By supporting these outstanding innovators to scale their solutions, the initiative continues to strengthen West Africa’s innovation ecosystem and drive sustainable growth across the agricultural sector.
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