First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has partnered with the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) to launch the FCMB–FMO AgriTech Investment Readiness Programme 2025, an initiative aimed at driving innovation, sustainability, and investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Developed in collaboration with Heave Ventures, the programme seeks to identify and support agritech startups and small- to medium-sized enterprises with high growth potential. It is designed to provide participants with improved access to capital, technical support, and opportunities for scaling their businesses.
A grant prize pool of ₦20 million will be awarded to the most investment-ready ventures, while additional support will be provided through Zimara, a proprietary digital platform that uses alternative data and readiness benchmarks to assess the bankability of agritech businesses. Applications are open until September 12, 2025 you can register too, after which twenty selected startups will embark on an intensive six-week investment readiness boot camp. The programme will conclude in October with a pitch session before a panel of investors.
you can register too, after which twenty selected startups will embark on an intensive six-week investment readiness boot camp. The programme will conclude in October with a pitch session before a panel of investors.
FCMB emphasised that the programme goes beyond conventional funding, describing it as a strategic effort to empower agritech innovators to transform agricultural value chains across production, processing, and export. The bank noted that scaling agribusiness innovation has the potential to create millions of decent jobs, boost foreign exchange earnings, and strengthen Africa’s position in the global agricultural technology market.
The initiative is expected to support broader goals of reducing poverty, addressing unemployment, and advancing food sovereignty across the continent. Both FCMB and FMO reiterated their commitment to fostering sustainable and inclusive growth by investing in the continent’s agricultural ecosystem
