28 of Agriculture, academia, and private sector enterprises. Just 44 entrepreneurs were selected to move forward to the second stage of the competition. In May 2016, the 44 young entrepreneurs – known in the program as “AgriTechies” – attended a series of lunch-and-learn programs aimed at deepening their understanding of the agricultural sector, studying the challenges identified in the AgriTech Exchange, and preparing for a 13-day field research tour. The KIC-sponsored research tour took participants to five regions in Ghana – Greater Accra, Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, and Brong-Ahafo – to interact directly with farmers and agribusinesses to test their assumptions and collect valuable input. The 44 young entrepreneurs, who formed into 11 teams, continued to refine their ideas and formulate business proposals which were pitched to the panel of expert judges in late June 2016. Entrepreneurs who progressed through this first-round pitch continued working on their business plans in advance of the final pitch in August 2016 that ultimately selected the winners. Commenting on the successful program, Kosmos Energy vice president and country manager Joe Mensah said: “We are on to something big. This program encourages smart young entrepreneurs to look at agriculture differently. With the type of innovation fostered by the KIC, our young people can make agriculture a more dynamic sector and attractive career path with plenty of opportunity. I am thrilled with the tremendous response that we have gotten from young people who want to be a part of this effort to transform Ghana. As we move on to the second competition in 2017, I would like to encourage other companies to join us as we invest in these promising young people and the businesses they are creating to improve agriculture in Ghana.” “We joined the Kosmos Innovation Center as individuals with different objectives. We came to the end of the programme as a team with a product, a business, and the goal of making agriculture an attractive sector for other youth entrepreneurs to participate.” TROTRO TRACTOR TEAM The AgriTechies pose before the lunch and learn on the challenges in agribusiness in Ghana.