On June 8th, +50 aspiring entrepreneurs kicked off the AgRE-Minds; 5-day hackathon activities followed by a pitching event to innovate solutions utilizing Renewable Energy to tackle challenges and gaps in the Agribusiness Sector.
30+ experts and mentors with diversified experience in energy, agribusiness, technology, business and innovation will coach and support youth with high female participation to conceptualize and validate their ideas to be pitched in front of a jury panel on June 15th that is comprised of industry leaders, technical experts and enablers.
AgRE-Minds Hackathon is designed on a startups methodology and aims to build the knowledge around Renewable Energy applications and tackling problems in solutions-based approach to select 4 to 5 promising ideas/teams to be admitted into a specialized business development program. The program will work to enhance the opportunity for startups to successfully launch reliable solutions through seed financing, product prototyping, product testing, and mentoring, in addition to linkages with stakeholders, investors and other relevant parties in the entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem.
AgRE-Minds Hackathon is part of “The Renewable Energy Fund to serve the Agribusiness Sector” implemented by The Generating Revenue Opportunities for Women and Female Youth (GROW) Project by Cowater International, in partnership with the Ministry of National Economy, funded by the Government of Canada, and in collaboration with Flow Accelerator, Palestine Techno Park and the Palestinian Energy and Natural Resources Authority (PENRA).
Kicking off the learning journey in the AgRE-Minds; the first day aimed to introduce the hackathon structure and outputs, map participants for team formation, build the basic concepts in renewable energy applications and startups development phases and realign ideas towards renewable energy adoption in the Agribusiness sector.
The second day of the AgRE-Minds Hackathon aimd to form cohesive teams, build the knowledge on business plan components and tackling problems in solutions-based approach, get deeper into the core solution through the value proposition and business modeling towards identifying the business opportunity and reflect with the team on the hackathon deliverables.
The third day of the AgRE-Minds Hackathon aimed to have a deeper understanding about the business opportunity, assess the resources on different aspects for commercialization, visualize the solution and its user journey and continue reflecting with the team on the hackathon deliverables.
The fourth day of the AgRE-Minds Hackathon aimed for participants to be able to build their pitch deck and pitch their business opportunity, assess the legal side and plan for market entry and steps beyond and reflect on the hackathon deliverables accordingly!
The fifth day of the AgRE-Minds Hackathon aims to introduce hands-on stories from the industry, learn the judging criteria and be engaged in a pitching simulation experience before the final pitch event.
Along the week, both local and international experts and mentors have supported the participants in their learning journey towards ideating customer-focused solutions as a kick-off ground prior to conceptualizing a successful startup opportunity!
In the sixth day, AgRE-Minds Hackathon concluded its activities through a pitching event in which 15 teams of aspiring entrepreneurs have pitched their solutions to book their seats in the upcoming business and prototype development program as part of the Renewable Energy Fund to Serve the Agribusiness Sector.
AgRE-Minds Hackathon Winners:
First place: AgriLive
Second place: Germination
Third place: Dreez
Fourth place: Eco Gas
Fifth place: Sunseed
The winners will join a business and prototype development program supported by Flow Accelerator and Palestine Techno Park comprised of pre-seed funding, prototyping, product testing, market linkages, networking and investors matchmaking as part of the Renewable Energy Innovation to Serve the Agribusiness Sector implemented by Grow Project
