Grofunder Africa Wins Top Honor at Verto Awards

Grofunder Africa has been crowned the overall winner of the inaugural Verto Awards, securing the grand prize of USD 10,000 for its pioneering peer-to-peer agri-financing platform that empowers smallholder commercial farmers. The Kenyan startup topped a strong field of early-stage innovators from across Africa, reaffirming the growing influence of agri-fintech solutions in driving economic transformation. Train Your Brain emerged as the 1st Runner-Up with USD 3,000 for its technology-enabled mental health services, while Green Voyage claimed the 2nd Runner-Up position with USD 2,000 for its climate-tech innovations that support carbon offset management.

The 2025 Verto Awards, launched earlier this year, were established to spotlight standout startups from Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa in the fintech, agritech, healthtech, and climate-tech spaces. Startups operational for at least two years were evaluated for their ability to address critical challenges in finance, agriculture, health, climate resilience, and digital commerce. This year’s finalists demonstrated strong market traction, creative business models, and the capacity to deliver sustainable, scalable impact.

Grofunder Africa stood out to the judging panel for its transformative work in unlocking financial access for farmers and strengthening agricultural value chains. By connecting investors directly with smallholder commercial farmers, the platform helps bridge longstanding financing gaps that have historically limited agricultural productivity. Kelvin Dol, CEO of Grofunder Africa Ltd, emphasized that the award validates their mission of empowering farmers with financial tools capable of fueling economic growth across the continent.

The finalists showcased exceptional ambition and technical depth, according to the panel of investors and digital economy experts who evaluated the entries. Judges assessed each startup on innovation, demonstrated need, sustainability, scalability, and social impact. They noted that the level of competition was exceptionally high, with each finalist presenting solutions designed to address pressing socio-economic challenges through technology-driven innovation.

Verto Co-founder and CEO Ola Oyetayo praised the outstanding calibre of startups featured in this inaugural edition, highlighting the innovation, resilience, and global ambition embedded within Africa’s early-stage ecosystem. He reiterated Verto’s commitment to providing financial infrastructure that enables African businesses to grow, expand, and build stronger international connections. As platforms like Grofunder, Train Your Brain, and Green Voyage continue to scale, they reflect a continent increasingly defined by bold entrepreneurship and technology-led problem-solving..