Recently updated on December 21st, 2020 at 01:55 pm
Hello Tractor, an AgriTech startup, has won the sum of $15,000 at the 2019 Bosch Africa Smart Mobility competition in Johannesburg. The startup, alongside Kenya’s Buu Pass, emerged winner in a final competition that hosted 11 finalists from seven countries. The competition was launched in August this year and it assessed applications from 222 teams across 27 African countries.
The other startups that pitched at the event were Bonang.ai, Bwala, Dronamics, Hovo, Mobility, Moja Ride, Motolix, Naviafleet and ParkCrowdy.
Hello Tractor was established in 2014 by Jehiel Oliver, uses technology to offer smarter, better-maintained, and profitable tractors to farmers. Its digital platform also connects tractor owners and smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Not to mention that it seeks to help farmers with limited access to resources get convenient and affordable tractor services while creating additional income and enhanced security for tractor owners. It would achieve this by turning tractors into smart tractors through remote asset tracking and virtual monitoring.
According to the Bosch’s Vice President for Sales in Africa, Yves Nono:
“Now is the time, we need to find smart mobility solutions for the future Africa.”
Smart leaders in Africa are creating platforms to engage the youth with schemes that would inspire them to invent agricultural technologies with an end-game of curbing food insecurity, creating employment opportunities and economic boost.
Nairobi-based BuuPass, which was founded in 2015 by Wyclife Omondi and Sonia Kabra, has developed a bus-ticketing marketplace for mass ground transit commuters in East Africa.
