Recently updated on June 16th, 2020 at 08:36 pm
Kennie-O Cold Chain Logistics has been crowned champion of the first Africa edition of the Scaling Up Nutrition Pitch Competition held at the Nutrition Africa Investor Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.
Kennie-O Cold Chain Logistics based in Kwara State won the competition involving some of the continent’s most exciting enterprises working to improve access to nutritious foods.
August Secrets won the Graça Machel Award.
Kennie-O Cold Chain Logistics was established in 2014 to provide reliable cold chain solutions for Nigeria’s food industry, thereby reducing post-harvest losses.
Collecting the award, owner, Ope Olanrewaju, said:
“Winning the pitch competition is so exciting! I am delighted to see recognition for companies working to reduce post-harvest losses. This experience has been wonderful, the training has added value to my business.”
Organised by the Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network (SBN), the Pitch Competition is an initiative of Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), a Swiss Foundation, the UN World Food Program (WFP) and local partners.
The Scaling Up Nutrition Pitch competition showcased investment opportunities presented by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) working to improve access to nutritious food.
Out of more than 450 outstanding entries, 21 SMEs were shortlisted from national pitch competitions in Nigeria, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia.
Concurrent to this pitch competition was a ‘Nutrition Deal Room’ for larger investment opportunities facilitated by Africa Business Magazine with Asoko Insights.
Fokko Wientjes, Vice President, Nutrition in Emerging Markets of Royal DSM, a purpose-led, global science-based company active in nutrition who participated in the initiative reported:
“With 130 deal room discussions involving 20 investors and more than 20 companies, we can call this first ever Nutrition Africa Impact Forum a success!”
All of the companies featured in both the Pitch Competition and in the Nutrition Dealroom comprise a part of GAIN’s pipeline of companies improving access to nutritious food.
