How Launchpad works
Built for first-time founders. Honest about what we fund and how we decide.
Who we back
Pre-seed and seed teams (1-3 founders) with at least one full-time person on the venture, working on a problem that matters for African farmers, food systems or climate. Local founders strongly preferred.
We don't require revenue. We do want some signal that the problem is real — pilot customers, letters of intent, a working prototype, or personal experience of the problem you're solving.
The application itself
The intake is structured but not bureaucratic. Five short sections: you, the problem, the solution, the market, and the ask. Each section has plain-language prompts and a built-in AI coach you can ask anything — "what does TAM mean?", "how do investors think about this?", "rewrite this so it sounds less hype-y".
Drafts auto-save. You can come back later. Most founders finish in 3-6 sittings over a couple of weeks.
What reviewers see — and what you see
Reviewers see your application, the auto-generated deck and model, and their own scoring rubric. You see the same. We share reviewer notes regardless of outcome — so a "no" still teaches you something.
If you're funded
Cheque sizes vary. We use catalytic capital — not always equity, not always a grant — structured to fit your stage. You also get hands-on build support from the FarmBiz team (product, design, data) and warm intros across the partner network (insurers, banks, off-takers, corporates, NGOs, governments).
If you're not funded
You keep your deck, one-pager and model. You get reviewer notes. You can re-apply in the next cycle, or take what you've built to other funders. The materials are yours.