An AgricTech startup, aiScarecrow Technologies, has emerged as the winner of the 2022 Israeli Green Innovation Competition (IGIC) in Accra to close the 10th Edition of the Ghana Garden and Flower Show.

The winner received a fully paid trip to Israel to participate in industry-related meetings, excursions, and conferences to learn best practices, network and seek potential investors to expand their existing business.

Other awardees are Waste Advantage, Ponaa Briquettes, Kaleidoscope and FarmMech.

This year’s competition focused on promoting sustainable green innovation initiatives by young Ghanaian startups.

The Embassy of the State of Israel in collaboration with the Ghana Garden and Flower Movement, an initiative of Strategic Communications Africa Limited (Stratcomm Africa), opened applications for the fourth edition of the Israeli Green Innovation Competition.

Instituted in 2019, the Competition seeks to honour individuals and organisations that come up with innovative solutions to promote environmental conservation and agriculture in Ghana.

Shlomit Sufa, Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, commended the Ghana Garden and Flower Movement as well as the Management and Staff of Stratcomm Africa for 10 years of successfully promoting and deepening the gardening and flower culture in Ghana.

“I am impressed by your zeal to create awareness about the need for a greener, cleaner, healthier, wealthier and more beautiful Ghana that sits within the United Nations Sustainable Goals,” she said.

She said the Embassy also shared in that drive, hence, their decision to support the Movement with the organisation of the Israeli Green Innovation Competition.

The Ambassador said it had indeed been four years of amazing partnership and they were happy to continue the initiative to stimulate creativity and innovative solutions from the youth to solve some of the agricultural and environmental challenges in Ghana.

She said the Competition focused on innovative startups in the agricultural, horticultural, environment and climate change sectors in line with Israel’s commitment to stimulate both agriculture and innovation in Ghana.

The Ambassador said after weeks of search and deliberations, the final six were selected out of 80 entries on various solutions and innovative ideas.

The winner and other participants of the competition will also have the opportunity to be enlisted on the Embassy’s Startup Database and participate in training opportunities that will enhance their prototypes or ideas.

She said they had been able to secure a three-month business mentorship programme for the second and third participants, provided by an Israeli Business Partner in Ghana.

Esther A. N. Cobbah, Chief Executive Office of Stratcomm Africa, said the Movement looked forward to more profitable and impactful collaborations with the Embassy that supported the overall development agenda of Ghana in the agriculture, environment, and horticultural sectors.

She commended the Ambassador for the commitment of the Embassy to support innovative startups to grow and develop.

Madam Cobbah said as part of the package for all the participants, Stratcomm Africa would provide them with tutorials on how to brand their companies and create awareness for their brand.

Ms Mary Aboagye, the Co-Founder of the Company that won the competition, said they leveraged technology to control biological pests off cereal farms and by extension agrochemical drone spraying.