LILONGWE, Malawi  – Khumbo Mindiera, founder of MIND ERA Innovations, won the 2025 AYuTe Africa Challenge Malawi in the Idea & Prototype category, earning MWK 2 million ($1,154) in grant funding to develop a smart agri-tech solution.

The award ceremony was held Monday, June 23, at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe. Mindiera’s project, the Smart Hybrid Biogas Incubator and Cold Storage System, is designed to reduce post-harvest losses and expand energy access for smallholder farmers.

The system combines biogas production with a thermoelectric generator that converts waste heat from the incubator to run a cold storage unit, harnessing locally available organic waste to provide clean energy for food preservation in off-grid farming communities.

“It reflects my personal commitment to the project, and it validates an idea that was just thought, that we get to manifest it in real life and affect real people, and that brings great joy to me,” Mindiera told Bantu Gazette.

“This means the project has transcended from just idea/prototype to actually making a high-fidelity product to be tested in pilot with smallholder farmers before we can start scaling it up,” he added.

The AYuTe Africa Challenge, an initiative by Heifer International, offers up to $1.5 million in annual grant funding across participating countries to support youth-led agricultural innovation.

This year, 170 entries were submitted in Malawi, with eight finalists selected and six receiving funding across two categories.

Winners also benefit from mentorship, business coaching, and networking opportunities with investors and industry experts.

Mindiera credited Unipod Malawi for providing key mentorship and support while developing his idea.

He said the award marks a significant step forward in his mission to deliver clean, scalable technology that addresses agricultural productivity and sustainable energy challenges in rural Malawi.