The Start-up Pitch Competition: OPEN NOW
Application to participate in the Festival of Cooling start-up pitch competition is now officially open. We are calling on young companies to step forward and showcase solutions that could make cooling and cold-chain smarter, cleaner, and more accessible in Rwanda with potential to scale up in the Global South.
This competition is designed for start-ups that are five years old or less. We welcome solutions with a working prototype, minimum viable product, or operational model. Purely conceptual ideas will not be considered.
Your innovation could be in agriculture, health, logistics, e-commerce, technology (hardware or software) or energy, but it must connect to the clean cooling and cold-chain ecosystem. Areas of focus include but are not limited to mobile storage (back of an e-bike for last mile delivery), removing field heat of food at the farm, cold storage and refrigeration technologies, IoT-enabled cold-chain solutions, solar-powered or off-grid cooling, temperature-controlled logistics, novel recovery of refrigerants, digital monitoring and optimisation tools, workforce development in refrigeration services, agri-processing innovations, health sector cooling solutions, cooling for food processing, comfort cooling, etc.
Process
The Phase 1 submission will be done via the online form (deadline 1st October 2025)
A longlist of innovators will be invited to the Innovation Day on 9th October 2025 at the ACES campus in Rubirizi to meet with experts across technology, supply chain and scaling, market development, business models and plans, and financing.
Following the Innovation Day, longlisted teams may submit a full application by 14th November 2025. The Organiser reserves the right to withdraw any team that does not attend Innovation Day or that, in interview/verification, does not meet the criteria (including technology readiness).
A shortlist of finalists will be selected by end of November 2025 and invited to attend a presentation session (early January; date to be confirmed), where the winners will be selected.
Prizes
Winning companies will be provided with commercial, business model, investor and technical support and mentoring from the ACES international team and partners and access to ACES demo hall and R&D and test facilities and field demo sites tailored to their needs and stage of development. Investment or seed funding may also be offered, including introduction to VC investors.
All shortlisted start-ups will pitch in front of a live panel that includes investors, development partners, industry leaders, and policymakers. The longlisted participants will be invited to the Festival of Cooling Innovation Day, gaining exposure, targeted feedback, and opportunities to build partnerships that last well beyond the festival.
Not yet registered a company, but are already running a solution? Don’t worry, you are still eligible to participate, and if you are among the winners, we will guide you through the process of registering your company.
Women and youth-led start-ups are especially encouraged to apply.
Take the stage. Share your solution. Shape the future of cooling.
Deadline for applications: 1st October 2025
Terms and Conditions Apply. Shortlisted companies will be asked to submit a more detailed application.
Prizes
Shortlisted startups:
- The opportunity to pitch in front of a live audience that includes investors, development partners, industry leaders, and policymakers.
- Every participant will gain exposure, targeted feedback, and opportunities to build partnerships that last well beyond the festival.
Winning companies:
- The provision of commercial, business model, investor, and technical support and mentoring from the ACES international team and partners
- Access to ACES demo hall and R&D and test facilities and field demo sites tailored to their needs and stage of development.
- Investment or seed funding may also be offered, including an introduction to VC investors.
Ready to take your startup to the next level?
To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic opportunity for your startup, please fill in the application form to help us learn more about your business, the area your solution focuses on and the impact it aims to create.
Take the stage. Share your solution. Shape the future of cooling.