CEO of Agro Empire, Dennis Asiedu Ababio says the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) has helped propel the Ghanaian agritech startup into rapid expansion, unlocking investment, partnerships, and new continental networks that are accelerating the growth of the business.
Through investor deal rooms and follow-up engagements, his company secured a significant funding boost to scale operations following the 2024 edition of the annual forum held in Kigali, Rwanda.
“I want to say a very big thank you to AGRA. I was very privileged to join AGRA Ghana for the Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda. During that forum, there were Deal Rooms, there were some investors around. I happened to pitch to some of these investors,” he explained.
“And there was also a follow up with our pitch when we got to Ghana. Which has landed us up in a deal. We got about USD 400,000 in investments. It’s a SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) investment and we are looking forward to having more of this to be able to scale high our impact.”
Beyond funding, Ababio says connections made at the forum have opened doors across the continent for collaboration building and knowledge exchange. “After the Kigali experience with the AFSF, I’ve been to two other African countries on the background of meeting some people at the forum where they hosted me. I went to look at their business to learn something from them and then they are also planning to also come here.”
AFSF, an annual event organized by AGRA, is Africa’s premier platform for dialogue and action on food systems transformation. The forum brings together heads of state, policymakers, researchers, agribusiness leaders, investors, and youth entrepreneurs to shape the future of food on the African continent.
Thousands of attendees from hundreds of countries drive high-level discussions and commitments every year to help improve Africa’s food systems. The 2026 edition is scheduled for September 1–5, in Kigali, Rwanda. Marking 20 years of AGRA’s impact, the 2026 summit will be on the theme “Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience.”
The Deal Rooms at the AFSF are premier matchmaking platforms connecting agri-food SMEs, governments, and financial institutions to drive investments in African agriculture. It provides access to finance, mentorship, and market entry solutions, aiming to empower companies and government delegations to advance food system transformation.
Founding of Agro Empire
Founded in 2022, AGRO Empire’s operation focuses on the snail and horticulture value chains. Ababio explains the company’s integrated approach encompasses the production of snail meat for both local consumption and exports in cans and pouches, as well as in both frozen and dried forms.
“We also process some of the byproducts like the shell and slime. The slime for the cosmetic industry and the shell has calcium content for livestock feed for pigs and poultry.”
The firm also produces and sells horticultural crops and fruits such as tomatoes, pepper, chili, habanero, watermelon, leafy greens, among others. https://youtu.be/Nh_fDpbJw7M
Ababio traces the origins of the venture to his time abroad and the perspective it gave him on agriculture as a viable, modern industry. He had been living in the Netherlands, where he worked in agriculture and came to understand the sector’s potential. When he returned home in early 2022, he encountered the Kosmos Innovation Center competition, which was inviting young people interested in agriculture to apply for support.
Through that process, he met his co-founders, and together they identified a major gap in Ghana’s snail industry. Their research revealed that the country consumed about 15,000 tons of snail each year, with roughly 13,000 tons imported, presenting an opportunity to build a local, scalable solution.
For Ababio, although the journey into agriculture was not always planned, it has proven transformative, both economically and socially. “Venturing into agriculture has been a worthwhile journey. I’ve gained insights, I’ve gained mastery in most things, creating impact, earning a source of living, creating alternative livelihoods for other people, which I couldn’t have done in other industries.”
Sustainability and innovation
Agro Empire operates on more than 169 acres of land at Kwahu in the Eastern Region. The company operates fully off the national electricity grid, using solar energy. “On climate sustainability, with our energy source, we are 100% off the national grid. So we use solar energy. We have two power stations on site which powers our irrigation kits, powers our farmhouses. We use it for everything on site.”
Agro Empire has also adopted unconventional building materials to improve resilience. “If you look at our greenhouses now, they’re made of bamboo. Initially we used to use steel. When there are strong winds, the steel used to bend. But by adopting and using bamboo to build these greenhouses, we realized that bamboo has a higher tensile strength than steel.”
Source: Joe Opoku/Editor
