Meet the Innovators Turning Food-Energy Challenges Into Scalable Businesses
On the 13th of February 2026, sixteen young innovators took the stage to pitch solutions to one of Nigeria’s most persistent and interconnected challenges: the relationship between food insecurity and energy access.
The greenlabs Powering Food Systems Innovation Challenge (Demo Day), organized by Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF) in partnership with Jacob’s Ladder Africa (JLA), Kenya, marked the culmination of an intensive four-week challenge that moved participants from idea refinement through quarter-finals and semi-finals to the grand finale. Regulators, development partners, ecosystem stakeholders, and media gathered to witness what this generation of innovators is building.
At the close of the pitch session, three startups, Geocycle, Ecobag Mart, and Leovia Farms, secured pre-seed funding to advance prototype development, market validation, and business registration. Other finalists join them in the fully funded nine-month incubation programme, where they will receive the technical, business, and operational support needed to build market-ready enterprises.
The urgency behind this work is real. In many African countries, an estimated 60% of harvested crops are lost to post-harvest losses, largely due to inadequate storage and cold-chain infrastructure. These innovators are now equipped to close the gaps in Nigerian agricultural value addition and market efficiency caused by unstable electricity.
As the greenlabs Incubation Program continues to grow its impact, we remain committed to bringing innovators together to build solutions for a more sustainable future.
Stay tuned for more updates on CADEF’s impact on sustainability and the green economy.
