AkoFresh, the Ghana-based agtech has been named the winner of the 2026 OPEC Fund Youth Entrepreneurship Award, for helping smallholder farmers reduce post-harvest losses.

The OPEC Fund Development Forum celebrates young entrepreneurs whose innovations are delivering measurable development impact. Along with the recognition, AkoFresh receives $100,000 to support the growth of its work.

Founded by Mathias Charles Yabe, AkoFresh is tackling one of agriculture’s biggest challenges: the loss of fresh produce after harvest. Farmers lose a significant portion of their crops before they reach the market because of inadequate cold storage and transportation.

To address this, the company provides solar-powered cold storage facilities, refrigerated transportation, farmer training and market access. This enables farmers to preserve the quality of their produce, reduce waste and increase their incomes.

Receiving the award, Yabe dedicated the recognition to young innovators working to solve real-world problems.

“To every young person with a dream that feels too big, too difficult or too early: keep going. The world needs your ideas, your energy and your determination,” he said. “Thank you to the OPEC Fund for believing in youth-led innovation and for creating this platform to empower the next generation to build a more inclusive and sustainable future.”

The Youth Entrepreneurship Award is one of three honors presented under the OPEC Fund’s revamped Annual Award for Development.

This year’s Transformational Impact Award went to Spain’s Fundación Plan International España for its DESFERS initiative, which empowers women in the Sahel through renewable energy, skills training and access to finance.

The Bangladesh-based iFarmer that connects smallholder farmers to finance and markets received the Innovation for Development award.