AgriCentric Ventures has been named the overall winner of the 2025 Fidelity Bank GreenTech Innovation Challenge, securing GHS 200,000 to scale its circular agriculture solutions. The Ghana-based company converts cocoa waste into biofuel, skincare oils, and organic fertilizers, positioning waste valorization at the center of climate-smart farming. The result caps a nationwide competition that spotlighted sustainable technologies with practical paths to market and measurable community impact.
About the Challenge
The GreenTech Innovation Challenge, run with Fidelity Bank Ghana and ecosystem partners, drew entrepreneurs from across Ghana to pitch solutions that cut emissions while improving livelihoods. Finalists faced a rigorous review from a multidisciplinary jury that probed commercial readiness, environmental benefits, and scalability beyond pilot communities. The program’s structure emphasized real-world deployment, with cash awards designed to de-risk early operations and catalyze private follow-on capital.
The Winners and Awards
AgriCentric Ventures took the top prize of GHS 200,000 for its model transforming agricultural residue into affordable inputs that raise yields and restore soils. Peellnnova earned GHS 100,000 for turning fruit waste into eco-friendly mosquito repellents intended to reduce disease exposure and household chemical use. Danny Machinery received GHS 70,000 for equipment that accelerates shea butter processing, specifically boosting women’s productivity and income in a key value chain.
Wider Cohort Recognition
Beyond the podium, the challenge named 16 winners overall, reflecting the breadth of innovation emerging from Ghana’s green economy. Thirteen additional ventures each received GHS 50,000, funding that can bridge the gap between prototype validation and early sales in underserved markets. Organizers underscored that distribution, procurement linkages, and mentorship will accompany prizes to increase survival rates and shorten time to scale.
Jury and Evaluation
The judging panel combined finance, banking, agribusiness, media, and innovation expertise to stress-test each venture’s plan and impact claims. Michael Mensah-Baah of Development Bank Ghana, Selom Cofie Atta of Fidelity Bank Ghana, Kojo Akoto Boateng, and MamiSerwaa A. from Innohub pressed teams on margins, unit economics, and verifiable sustainability outcomes. Founders were challenged to quantify greenhouse gas reductions, articulate defensible sourcing, and outline credible pathways to regional expansion.
Spotlight on AgriCentric Ventures
Founded in 2019 by Gideon Ohenepon No Ba Nyamesen, AgriCentric Ventures buys farm waste from smallholders and commercial producers, converting it into bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, soil amendments, and animal dietary supplements. Its process integrates microbe-inoculant biochar and organic formulations that reduce input costs, improve soil health, and cut reliance on synthetic chemicals. By paying farmers for residues and selling back low-cost inputs, the company embeds a circular economy loop that strengthens climate resilience and rural incomes.
Impact and Market Traction
AgriCentric Ventures operates primarily in Ghana and works alongside government agricultural programs to reach dispersed farmer networks efficiently. Direct marketing to growers and collaborations with rural initiatives help the firm standardize training, ensure correct product application, and track outcomes such as yield gains and input savings. The prize capital is expected to fund feedstock aggregation, product quality assurance, and distribution, while validating the business model for institutional backers.
Sector Significance
The winning trio illustrates how local ingenuity is closing last-mile gaps that often stall green transitions in emerging markets. Peellnnova addresses a public health challenge with bio-based repellents that avoid harsh chemicals, while Danny Machinery targets labor bottlenecks that limit earnings for women in shea communities. Together with AgriCentric Ventures, these companies show that climate gains can align with tangible household benefits when solutions are tailored to local supply chains.
With the 2025 GreenTech Innovation Challenge now concluded, organizers and partners framed the awards as a starting point rather than an end. AgriCentric Ventures’ top recognition, alongside support for Peellnnova, Danny Machinery, and thirteen other ventures, signals growing investor confidence in market-ready green technologies. The next phase will test execution at scale, where disciplined operations, distribution depth, and verified impact will determine who leads Ghana’s green growth story.