It can be a challenge in and of itself to convince corporates to work with startups and join our collaboration programs. Negotiating with corporates in new markets is very different from negotiating in Germany or the US. The physical distance can be a major issue. You have to be physically present in the region on a regular basis to find the right partners, gain the trust of the locals, and get things started. Every day we learn something new about what it takes to set up our business model in Nigeria.
Despite the challenges, we successfully conducted our first innovation challenge in Agrifood & WaterTech in Lagos (Nigeria).
We had seven amazing startups in the finals. We worked with all of them in intense sessions to tackle severe challenges in the region. In the end, crop2cash, asusu, and rural farmers hub were invited by our partner UNIDO ITPO to the Agritechnica in Germany, the biggest trade fair in the world for agriculture. There, the selected startups presented their business models to potential investors and prospective customers from the industry. It was a huge growth opportunity for these startups to be at the heart of the agriculture business and to meet so many different stakeholders.
A big shout out to the team of wennovation hub in Lagos who hosted our event and were a mighty operational support throughout.
