The national final of the prestigious AYuTe Africa Challenge concluded this Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Dakar. Organized by Heifer International, this competition recognized the startup Aquadonut as the winner among more than 300 projects, illustrating the driving role of youth in the technological modernization of Senegal's primary sector.

The Senegalese agricultural sector has its new innovation champions. After a rigorous selection process covering the country's four agro-ecological zones, five finalist startups — Aquadonut, Horizonis, Ndieulben Agro, SalinSmart and Smart Green Dryer — competed in a final "pitch" before a jury of experts.

Smart irrigation in the spotlight

The grand prize winner of this edition is Aquadonut. Specializing in smart irrigation solutions, this startup impressed with its ability to offer technology tailored to small farmers. Its solution enables optimized water resource management, crucial in the context of climate change, while guaranteeing increased yields for family farms.

Thanks to this victory, Aquadonut receives 8 million FCFA. In total, 16 million FCFA was distributed to the winners to support the scaling up of their projects.

A lever for food sovereignty

Representing the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Moustapha Diagne, Director of Livestock, praised the initiative as "structuring for the agricultural sector." According to him, this competition actively contributes to strengthening the involvement of young people in the search for sovereign and adapted solutions to current climate challenges.

For Daouda Ndao, director of Heifer International Senegal, the stakes go beyond simple financial support. “AYuTe is a platform that allows us to identify and support young innovators all the way to implementation on the ground,” he explained. The goal is to transform these ideas into concrete tools to serve small-scale producers.

A growing impact on the entrepreneurial ecosystem

Since its inception, the AYuTe Africa Challenge has established itself as a major player in Agri-Tech in Senegal. With over 1,500 startups involved and 80 million FCFA in grants distributed to date, the program now extends to 10 regions of the country. Beyond the prizes, the finalists will benefit from technical support to ensure the sustainability of their innovations, contributing to a more resilient and efficient agricultural sector.