SAAMBAT Digital Agriculture Accelerator is a local agri-tech accelerator supporting agri-tech entrepreneurs to strengthen their Minimum Viable Product (MVP), gain customer validation, and accelerate their path to viability through a technology-oriented designed curriculum. It is an equity-free 6-month program for early-stage agri-tech startups.
The program will assist the startups from shaping the business model stage to the product launching stage on the demo day.
What does the program offer?
Who is it for?
The SAAMBAT Digital Agriculture Accelerator is open to startups, corporates, NGOs, associations, or autonomous government agencies (except Government administrative departments) that are passionate about improving the lives of smallholder farmers and rural unemployed/underemployed youth by using software technology to modernize and improve efficiency in agricultural value chains: agriculture, production, distribution/retail, learning/sharing, and so on.
2 types of digital innovation initiatives that are eligible for the program:
- New innovative product or service: a project in which a new value proposition is developed and launched. This may include startups or innovation arms of corporates or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) or autonomous government agencies, which are at the prototype or early-operation stage.
- Expansion into a new market(s): a project which launches an existing product or service into the new market(s). The project must focus on the further development of the proof-of-concept solution or scaling proven solutions and approaches.
To be eligible for funding and to join the Accelerator program, the applicant must meet the following criteria:
- Is based in Cambodia
- Have at least 1 team member with qualifications and experience either in digital technology or in the development of the rural economy; Registered business is not compulsory at the application stage, but they will be required to register a company during the program commencement.
- Propose to develop a digital application linked to Khmer Agriculture Suite (KAS) that can be used for an economic purpose in rural Cambodia (applications for purely social or recreational purposes are not eligible)
- Demonstrate that there is no equivalent application with the same functionalities, already available for use in rural Cambodia
- Demonstrate how the application can become self-financed and sustainable
- Must co-finance in cash or resources of at least 25% of the grant amount requested
- Have an adequate financial management system to report to Impact Hub Phnom Penh
Program Timeline
Meet our Team:
This program is part of the 5 years project activities of SAAMBAT, implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development as an executive agency and the Ministry of Economic and Finance as implementing agency which is financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), European Investment Bank, and the European Union Grant.
SAAMBAT Digital Agriculture Accelerator is implemented by Techo Startup Center and organized by Impact Hub Phnom Penh.
FAQ
Does my business need to be legally registered to apply to the program?
No, but during the program, we would encourage you to register once you have gotten some traction. You will be supported in the admin process by the Techo Startup Center team.
How much time commitment is expected from me to join this program?
Please refer to these guidelines for more details.
Are there any conditions on the use of the seed funding?
Yes, there are. Please refer to these guidelines for more details.
I have just an idea, can I still apply?
Yes, you could apply and join the pre-accelerator program to learn and get inspired. We would suggest having your team readiness on the following such as: having clear team roles; having software developers in the team; and having a digital technology person in the team.
Will my product/service (software/innovation) developed through this acceleration program be owned by the applicant or Techo Startup Center?
The ownership of the product/service developed by the applicant belongs to the applicant only. The Acceleration Program aims to support your development and scale up the initiative to support our agricultural value chain and rural users.
Can I use the fund to pay back some debts?
No, the fund is not for repurposing or refinancing other funds. Please refer to these guidelines for more details.
What if I work on hardware connected to software application/technology?
As long as it contributes to strengthening the Agriculture Value Chain, particularly in Vegetables and Crop Farming, we highly encourage you to apply.
Why do we need to integrate with the Khmer Agriculture Suite (KAS) platform?
We encourage applicants to work together on API integration with the KAS platform so you could access relevant open-source data related to the agriculture value chain that would support your business as well as your end-users.
If you have any questions or need some support don’t hesitate to contact Lyhour Heang:
[email protected] | Telegram: +85577791981
