Grofunder Africa, a Kenyan peer-to-peer agri-financing platform enabling investment in smallholder commercial farmers, was crowned overall winner of the Verto Awards, taking home the grand prize of USD10,000.
Grounder Africa beat Train Your Brain (TYB), a mental health platform offering therapy services across Africa, as the 1st Runner-Up with $3,000 and Green Voyage, a climate-tech startup enabling organisations to manage, verify, and monetise carbon offset projects which was the 2nd Runner-Up, with $ 2,000.
The inaugural Verto Awards 2025, recognised the most promising early-stage startups from Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa’s fintech, agritech, healthtech, and climate-tech evolution.
According to Kelvin Dol, CEO of Grofunder Africa Ltd, “This award is a powerful validation of our mission to bridge the financing gap for smallholder commercial farmers. At Grofunder, we believe agriculture can fuel Africa’s economic transformation when farmers are empowered with the right financial tools. The support from Verto helps accelerate that vision and brings us one step closer to creating a thriving, inclusive agricultural ecosystem.”
Drawn from a highly competitive pool of applicants from the finalists exemplified strong market traction, innovative business models, and high potential for scalable, sustainable impact. The awards, launched on February 6th, 2025, targeted startups operational for at least two years and addressing critical challenges across finance, agriculture, health, climate, and digital commerce.
Grofunder impressed judges for its pioneering role in unlocking financial access for farmers and strengthening agricultural value chains. Train Your Brain earned accolades for its technology-first approach to tackling Africa’s mental health gap, while Green Voyage stood out for offering measurable, technology-driven climate solutions.
A panel of leading investors and digital economy experts judged the startups based on innovation, demonstrated need, sustainability, scalability, and social impact. “Every finalist demonstrated remarkable ambition and technical clarity, making the judging process both exciting and extremely competitive,” says Arthur Chupeau, Managing Partner, Baobab Network, and a member of the judging panel. “The impact-driven mindset we have seen is exactly what will drive the next wave of transformative African businesses.”
Ola Oyetayo, CEO and Co-founder of Verto, has praised the exceptional calibre of ventures showcased this year. “This inaugural edition of the Verto Awards has revealed just how much innovation, resilience, and global ambition exists within Africa’s early-stage startup ecosystem. The calibre of founders we have seen this year has been exceptional. As these businesses grow, expand, and strengthen international ties, we remain committed to providing the financial infrastructure that helps turn their global ambitions into reality.”
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