KIGALI, 30 April, 2026 – Camp Kigali has hosted this year’s edition of the AYuTe Africa Challenge Rwanda 2026 finale where the participating finalists showcased their tech-based solutions to change the agriculture industry in Rwanda. The total cash prize for this year’s edition of the challenge was RWF 65 million.
During the awards ceremony run by Heifer International, the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr Telesphore Ndabamenye told those present that the Rwandan Government would continue to provide support to the youth who create innovations.
Dr Ndabamenye said “Our objective is to connect these young innovators with partners who can assist them in scaling their business ideas, and help them reach larger market sizes.”
Further, he added that the Government would also provide technical mentoring and capacity building to assist the start-ups to achieve sustainable expansion.
Highlights from the Innovations of the Year
The challenge received over 1,200 applications from around the country, and through an extensive screening process, ultimately 12 of the best entrepreneurs participated in the 5-day bootcamp to develop their business models leading up to the final pitch event.
Grand Prize Winner Mutoni Goodluck from Goodness of God, won RWF 30 million, producing organic hair products produced from ginger and garlic. She said she would use her prize money to add more staff, and to expand her partner farmer network.
The first runner-up for the Rwandan Agribusiness Innovation Challenge was Isidole Niyigirimpuhwe from Techplus Trust Ltd with his smart incubation technology that provides poultry farmers with faster access to high-quality chicks and represents the potential of youth-driven agricultural solutions to impact the transformation of agriculture in Rwanda. Niyigirimpuhwe received RWF 20 million.
Axel Muyombano from Ampere Vision won RWF 15 million for being 2nd Runner-Up in the AYuTe Challenge. His project is using drone technology to spray pesticides on crops to protect against pest infestations as well as decrease the amount of money lost due to crop failures. Through the use of 4 drones, he plans to increase the number of farmers he is able to reach before the end of the year.
Verena Ruzibuka, Country Director of Heifer International Rwanda, wants to remind us that for agriculture to transform it cannot happen without young people using technology. She mentioned that the AYuTe platform will help young innovators, investors and policy makers connect in order to develop solutions to agricultural challenges in Rwanda.
The AYuTe Challenge will focus on creating solutions using data, decreasing post-harvest losses and creating access to markets. With the total prize for 2026 at RWF 65 million the increase in prize from RWF 50 million in 2025 demonstrates the growing confidence in young agri-entrepreneurs in Rwanda's ability to create long-term sustainable solutions.
RYAF Communication Team