Jasiri Talent Investor Cohort 9 for Food Systems Entrepreneurs

Deadline: 31-Dec-2026

The Jasiri Talent Investor Cohort 9 supports aspiring entrepreneurs from Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia to build new ventures addressing challenges and opportunities in Eastern Africa’s food systems. Participants receive venture-building support, training, coaching, prototyping funding, and a USD 28,000 venture creation grant per venture. What Is Jasiri Talent Investor Cohort 9? Jasiri Talent Investor is a venture-building program designed to help talented entrepreneurs move from promising ideas to new businesses and scalable ventures. For Cohort 9, the program has a specific focus on food systems in Eastern Africa. The goal is to bring together entrepreneurs, technical experts, regulatory knowledge, partner networks, and venture-building resources to address important challenges across the food systems sector. The program is intended for individuals who already have experience building businesses or ventures and are ready to pursue entrepreneurship full-time. What Is the Food Systems Focus? Cohort 9 focuses on developing ventures that respond to constraints, gaps, and opportunities within Eastern Africa’s food systems. Food systems can involve areas such as: - Food production. - Agricultural value chains. - Food processing. - Food distribution. - Market access. - Food technology. - Supply chains. - Food-related services. - Sustainable food systems. - Other challenges affecting how food is produced, processed, distributed, and accessed. Applicants should demonstrate how their proposed venture can address a meaningful challenge or opportunity within the sector. Who Is Jasiri Talent Investor For? The program is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs who have: - A proven track record of building businesses or ventures. - Strong technical or commercial skills. - A clear commitment to entrepreneurship. - Interest in solving food systems challenges. - Willingness to build a new venture. - Ability to work collaboratively with a co-founder. - Willingness to test assumptions and adapt based on evidence. The program is particularly suited to people who want intensive support while turning an opportunity into a new venture. Who Is Eligible to Apply? Applicants must meet the program’s key eligibility requirements.

They must:

- Be citizens of Kenya, Rwanda, or Ethiopia. - Diaspora citizens of the three eligible countries can also apply. - Be prepared to pursue entrepreneurship full-time. - Be able to relocate to Kigali, Rwanda for the Residential Intensive. - Be committed to building a new venture focused on food systems. - Be willing to co-found and collaborate with others. - Be prepared to test, learn, and iterate based on evidence. Applicants should also have relevant technical, commercial, or entrepreneurial experience that demonstrates their ability to build a venture. Can Diaspora Applicants Apply? Yes. Citizens of Kenya, Rwanda, or Ethiopia living in the diaspora are eligible to apply. However, selected participants must be able to meet the program’s participation and relocation requirements, including relocating to Kigali during the Residential Intensive. What Does the Jasiri Program Include? The program is delivered through several stages, allowing participants to move from initial preparation and exploration toward venture creation. Jasiri Jumpstart The program begins with Jasiri Jumpstart, a one-month online phase. During this stage, participants begin developing their venture concepts while receiving support to prepare for the more intensive residential component.

Participants receive USD 30 in communication support during the online phase

Residential Intensive Successful participants then take part in a three-month fully covered Residential Intensive in Kigali, Rwanda. The intensive phase provides an immersive environment for venture development and collaboration.

Covered benefits include:

- Travel. - Accommodation. - Meals. - Local transport. - Health insurance. - Living support of USD 250 per month for three months.

Participants also gain access to hands-on venture builders and expert coaches

Venture Creation Support Following the Residential Intensive, participants receive up to nine months of venture creation support in Kenya, Rwanda, or Ethiopia. This stage focuses on helping participants turn their validated concepts into functioning ventures.

Support can include:

- Venture-building assistance. - Expert coaching. - Market validation. - Prototyping. - Testing. - Partner connections. - Venture development. - Access to workspaces. How Much Funding Is Available? The program provides several forms of financial support throughout the venture-building process.

Key financial benefits include:

- USD 30 communication support during the online phase. - USD 250 per month living support for three months during the Residential Intensive. - Up to USD 3,000 per team for prototyping and testing during market validation. - USD 28,000 venture creation grant per venture. The venture creation grant is disbursed through milestone-gated tranches, meaning funding is released as agreed venture-development milestones are achieved. What Is the USD 28,000 Venture Creation Grant? The USD 28,000 venture creation grant provides capital for developing a new venture after participants progress through the program. Rather than providing the full amount without conditions, the grant is released in milestone-gated tranches. This approach connects funding to demonstrated progress and venture-development milestones. Participants should therefore be prepared to show evidence that their venture is progressing according to the agreed development plan. What Is the Prototyping and Market Validation Support? Teams can receive up to USD 3,000 to support prototyping and testing during the market validation stage. This funding can help entrepreneurs test assumptions and gather evidence about: - Customer needs. - Product or service demand. - Market fit. - User feedback. - Business models. - Product functionalit