Blog From Pitch to Partnership: Cultivating Lasting Investor Relationships at the CFSA Pitch Day
The CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator (CFSA) hosted Pitch Day on November 14–15, 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, bringing together agribusiness founders, investors, and researchers to foster partnerships and drive sustainable agricultural innovation in Africa.
By: Caroline Musau and Nathanial Peterson
Pitch Day: Catalyzing Stronger Investor Relationships in Agriculture
The CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator (CFSA) Pitch Day, held on November 14–15, 2024, in Cape Town, South Africa, was a transformative event aimed at bridging the gaps between agribusiness founders, agribusiness innovations and investment. Under the theme Seeding the Future, the event provided a dynamic platform for entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and ecosystem enablers to collaborate and forge impactful partnerships.
At its core, the event underscored the critical role of investor relationships in scaling agribusinesses. These connections, founded on shared values and long-term objectives, are essential for driving sustainable agricultural development across the region.
Building Connections: Entrepreneurs, Researchers, and Investors
CFSA Pitch Day created a unique nexus for collaboration, enabling stakeholders to address systemic agricultural challenges together. Agribusinesses benefited from meaningful interactions with both investors and researchers, gaining insights into how science-backed solutions can enhance their business models and mitigate risks for investors.
The event’s structure fostered a balance of formal and informal interactions. The main Pitch Day on November 14, 2024, featured 14 agribusinesses from Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi delivering compelling six-minute presentations, followed by dynamic Q&A sessions. These engagements allowed investors to gain deeper insights into the businesses’ profitability, climate-smart agriculture practices, and social impact strategies.
To further strengthen connections, curated matchmaking sessions during breaks connected entrepreneurs with investors, CGIAR scientists, and support organizations.
Following the pitch event, a cocktail forum provided a relaxed setting for participants to exchange ideas informally, with many choosing to extend their conversations late into the evening, thereby strengthening connections and expanding their perceptions of agribusiness success. The following day’s picturesque wine farm tours offered a serene backdrop for meaningful conversations. Divided into smaller groups, the 60 participants explored commercial wine farming practices and deepened their relationships through extended discussions.
This combination of structured presentations and casual networking created an ideal environment for participants to build trust, explore synergies, and discuss future opportunities in an open and collaborative setting. As one participant noted:
“I learned a lot from the Pitch Day and social interactions. I like the initiative and hope it continues—I would love to stay engaged and help in whichever way I can.” (Anthony Kimani, Venture Builder, Delta40 Ventures)
Event Highlights
Pitch Presentations
The judges, drawn from the investment and banking sectors, were introduced to the participants and guided through the judging criteria. These criteria emphasized the ability to clearly articulate a business model, showcase value propositions and impact, and demonstrate commercial viability alongside strong team composition.
Each agribusiness was given six minutes to pitch, followed by a Q&A session. A total of 14 agribusinesses from Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi—spanning various value chains and at different growth stages, including ag-tech, processing, and aggregator firms—took the stage. The entrepreneurs delivered compelling presentations, highlighting how their models integrate profitability with climate-smart agriculture and social impact.
Pitch day judges
Standout Innovations
Winner: Sesame for Life
Location: Zimbabwe
Sesame for Life operates an out-grower scheme that supplies smallholder farmers with essential inputs and training, enabling them to cultivate high-quality sesame for export. Farmers enter contracts to sell their harvest back to the company, creating a sustainable supply chain. Zimbabwean sesame, known for its high oil content, is ideal for oil production and increasingly sought after for tahini manufacturing.
Runner-Up: Nyota
Location: Kenya
Nyota, a social enterprise in Kenya, collaborates with smallholder farmers to produce nutritious food. Farmers supply fresh vegetables for Nyota’s frozen and canned specialty sauces, targeting middle-income urban consumers. By providing a reliable market, Nyota increases farmer incomes, reduces post-harvest losses, and enhances community nutrition. The enterprise also ensures a year-round supply of affordable, locally sourced frozen vegetables at stable prices, improving food availability.
Second Runner-Up: Ndkay Zambia
Location: Zambia
Ndkay Zambia Limited is a renewable energy company that empowers smallholder farmers and marketeers with solar-powered solutions. These include solar cold rooms for produce storage to extend shelf life and reduce post-harvest losses, as well as solar irrigation systems that boost productivity, water efficiency, and climate resilience. Through accessible payment plans, Ndkay supports sustainable agricultural growth by enabling efficient water usage, maintaining produce quality, and providing reliable access to off-grid electricity.
Addressing Key Challenges in Agribusiness Financing
Agribusinesses in East and Southern Africa face significant barriers to accessing capital and building relationships with capital providers. These challenges are particularly pronounced in underserved regions, where:
- Limited Access to Investors: Many agribusinesses struggle to connect with investors aligned with their growth and impact goals.
- Mismatch Between Capital and Needs: Entrepreneurs often face difficulties navigating available financing options, such as equity or debt, which may not align with their business readiness or growth stage.
- Fragmented Ecosystems: A lack of cohesive networks and platforms inhibits the ability of agribusinesses to showcase their innovations effectively.
CFSA Pitch Day addressed these gaps by:
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Facilitating meaningful conversations between agribusinesses and investors to align on shared objectives.
“Thank you for the invitation! It was truly insightful, and I appreciated the opportunity to network with new faces in our shared industry.” (Martha Wairimu, Investment Manager, Iungo Capital)
- Providing a platform for researchers and investors to identify synergies in de-risking agribusinesses through science-backed solutions.
- Highlighting scalable and sustainable business models tailored to the realities of agribusinesses in east and southern Africa.
- Creating an immersive, three-day environment that encouraged trust-building, deep understanding, and ongoing collaboration.
As one attendee observed:
“There is a place for science, agribusiness, and investors to collaborate and come up with solutions that answer to the needs of the world.” (Jonathan Mwewa, Program Manager, Ndkay Zambia Limited)
Insights from Event Speakers
1. Welcome Note by Nick Meehan, New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner, Pretoria
The event began with an address by Nick Meehan who underscored the commitment of the Government of New Zealand to supporting programs focused on climate adaptation and mitigation in East and Southern Africa. Highlighting Ukama Ustawi as an example, he emphasized the critical role agriculture plays in combating climate change, both in New Zealand and Africa, where it contributes significantly to GDP.
Nick called for a collaborative approach to tackle challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Africa and stressed the importance of funding Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). He elaborated on their pivotal role in driving innovation, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.
Quoting his address, he said:
“Events like the CFSA Pitch Day help support the ideas and collaborations required to reshape agri-food systems into sustainable and resilient ones. They create supportive environments for developing solutions and provide frameworks for entrepreneurs to embrace innovative approaches that can enhance productivity.”
He concluded his remarks by encouraging agribusinesses to leverage such platforms to foster innovation, collaboration, and progress.
New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner, Pretoria, Nick Meehan.
2. Climate Finance in Sub-Saharan Africa
Claris Parenti, Agrifood Systems Analyst at Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), shared insights on the Climate Finance Landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the need for increased funding in Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sectors, which account for over 50% of emissions but receive only 20% of climate finance. She emphasized supporting early-stage businesses with climate solutions, aligning them with investor expectations, and providing tools to communicate their environmental and social impact effectively.
3. Impact Measurement for Agribusinesses
Valentina Giombini, Research Officer at the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, discussed how agribusinesses drive impact by improving rural livelihoods, enhancing biodiversity, and mitigating climate change through sustainable practices. She introduced practical frameworks for measuring impact, including causal chains and reliable indicators, and shared tailored pathways to help SMEs effectively engage investors and showcase their contributions.
Agribusinesses
Key Outcomes
- Pipeline of Investable Agribusinesses: 14 businesses were identified for follow-up discussions, with 100% of investors expressing interest in proceeding with funding. A deal book featuring all 14 agribusinesses and 10 additional agribusinesses from Cohort 1 was shared with investors.
- Enhanced Capacity of Entrepreneurs: Participants reported a 100% improvement in their ability to articulate value propositions.
- Strengthened Investor Relationships: The extended three-day engagement enabled agribusinesses and investors to build trust, better understand each other’s goals, and forge ongoing conversations.
“It was great to meet the companies you showcased and connect with other investors and experts in the agri-space.” (Vera Wachira, Impact Investor, Hooge Raedt Social Ventures)
Ecosystem Collaboration: Partnerships were initiated between agribusinesses, ESOs, and technical advisors.
“This was a program worth attending. Lots of takeaways and broader networks for sure” (Victoria Mwafulirwa, Founder, Homes Industries)
“Thank you for initiating the VR project for us. My guys are super elated already. Would not have been possible without your support.” (Florence Mogere, Founder, Nyota Limited)
Looking Ahead: Scaling Partnerships for Impact
CFSA Pitch Day served as a critical milestone in bridging agribusinesses with investors dedicated to fostering transformative and sustainable solutions. Building on the momentum from the event, the focus now turns to:
- Scaling climate-smart innovations to reach and benefit more farmers and communities.
- Diagnose and strengthen ecosystems that support sustainable and inclusive agriculture based on what we’ve learned our companies need to scale successfully.
- Promoting collaboration on specific risks, like market access, water management, financing of new technologies and logistics coordination, to address systemic challenges in the food system.
The impact of CFSA Pitch Day lies in its ability to break down barriers, create meaningful connections, and lay the groundwork for partnerships that drive sustainable agricultural development, especially in underserved regions. The event highlighted the power of collective action in driving change and shaping a resilient future for agrifood systems.
The CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator Program is a collaborative effort made possible through the support and partnership of several key organizations. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the following programs and institutions for their invaluable contributions:
