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COOKO, an innovative AgTech startup based in Cameroon, has raised $872,000 in pre-seed funding to revolutionize the country’s cocoa value chain.
The funding round, led by a US family office, will see COOKO bring about significant advancements and sustainability in Cameroon’s cocoa industry.
COOKO aims to address critical challenges cocoa farmers face in Cameroon, including low productivity, supply chain inefficiencies, and climate change’s adverse impact.
With this recent investment, the startup plans to deploy cutting-edge technologies and implement sustainable practices to transform how cocoa is grown, harvested, processed, and marketed. COOKO’s innovative approach involves leveraging technology, data analytics, and precision farming techniques to optimize cocoa cultivation. The startup plans to provide farmers with access to crucial data and insights that can enhance crop management, improve yield, and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Additionally, COOKO plans to establish a digital platform that connects cocoa farmers directly with buyers, eliminating intermediaries and ensuring fair prices for their produce.

African seed-stage investor Ventures Platform has announced that the first close of its second institutional vehicle, VP Pan‑African Fund II, has reached US $64 million, with a target of reaching US $75 million at final close.

Egyptian health-tech company Rology has confirmed that it has closed a growth funding round, with backing from global healthcare-investment leaders such as Philips Foundation, Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, Sanofi Global Health Unit’s Impact Fund and MIT Solve Innovation Future.

Logidoo, a Pan-African logistics startup, has received a $50,000 grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).