The East African region is quickly becoming a hotbed for technological innovations, with noticeable growth seen in the fintech and health tech sectors. But a particular area of interest that’s steadily gaining popularity in the region is the Agtech sector.
With a focus on addressing the unique challenges farmers face in the region, several Agtech companies have emerged as leaders in driving agricultural innovation. These companies leverage technology to empower farmers, increase productivity, and create sustainable agricultural practices.
Here, we will explore 12 Agtech companies in East Africa, redefining processes and making meaningful contributions to the agricultural value chain in the region.
iProcure
Year Founded: 2013
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
iProcure is a digital technology company developing innovations to improve the agriculture supply chain in Kenya. The startup designs data-driven optimization solutions for smallholder farmers in rural Kenya, helping them access markets easily and avoid post-harvest losses from supply chain limitations.
The company owns a supply chain digital infrastructure that provides users with business intelligence. The platform also has features that allow users to manage their stock inventory and point-of-sale activities. In addition to that, users can access alternative distribution channels via the platform to ensure their products get to the end consumers without hiccups.
Essentially, iProcure’s platform provides farmers with a complete procurement and distribution solution, helping them streamline their sales and delivery to customers. The company aims to lower production costs for farmers by optimizing farm output distribution channels.
It currently serves over 1 million commercial smallholder farmers in East Africa and is fast spreading into other parts of the continent.
Ecodudu
Year Founded: 2017
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Ecodudu is a biotechnology company pioneering sustainable agricultural practices through groundbreaking innovation in Kenya. The startup leverage naturally occurring materials to convert organic waste into animal feed and plant fertilizers.
The company’s flagship solution incorporates black soldier flies larvae and other natural recycling agents, primarily insects, to convert food and organic waste into protein-dense animal feeds and biomass for fertilizers. This process produces Dudu meal, Ecodudu’s patented insect-based animal feed, and Shamba Mix, its organic plant fertilizer.
Ecodudu is dedicated to helping farmers produce healthier agricultural outputs by providing them with organic, chemical-free inputs. It’s also contributing to environmental conservation and sustainability through waste recycling.
Victory Farms
Year Founded: 2015
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Victory Farms is a techno-centric aquaculture farm revolutionizing white meat production in East Africa. The company is one of the biggest fish farms in East Africa and is leveraging technology to bolster its rapid growth while serving customers excellent quality products.
Victory Farms operates a fully-integrated, end-to-end embedded platform that oversees its outputs’ production, processing, sales, and distribution. The company also operates a highly efficient cold-chain system, ensuring all its goods get to off-takers and consumers in excellent condition.
Victory Farms is building a sustainable end-to-end food platform to give Africans easy access to fresh, healthy, and affordable animal protein. Thanks to its significant impact on the East African food industry, the company has secured substantial funding to build and expand its operations as well as its digital solutions across the continent.
Farmingtech Solution Limited
Year Founded: 2016
Location: Kiambu County, Kenya
Farmingtech Solutions Limited is an Agtech company leveraging digital technology to enhance animal husbandry and agricultural extension practices in Kenya. The startup operates digital systems designed to optimize operations and access to livestock healthcare for cattle rearers.
The company’s DigiCow dairy app contains several features that enable multiple functionalities, including record keeping, educative materials for farming processes, and digital breeding and clinical record for cattle.
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Farmingtech Solutions also implements several other solutions to improve farmers’ efficiency and productivity. Its USSD-based alert system makes it easy for cattle rearers to contact vet doctors whenever there’s an emergency or for the animals to have a check-up.
Farmingtech Solutions currently serves over 70,000 dairy farms across Kenya and is contributing immensely to the country’s food and agriculture value chain, particularly in areas of meat and dairy production.
Biobuu
Year Founded: 2016
Location: Coast Region, Tanzania
BioBuu is a biotechnology company driving sustainable agriculture in Tanzania. The startup is helping farmers grow healthier and safer crops by reducing their reliance on chemical-based farm inputs. It provides farmers with organic-based alternatives that are safer, affordable, and sustainable.
Biobuu operates a recycling system using black soldier flies to convert food and organic waste into high-protein fish and chicken feeds and compost for plants. It then distributes its produce to farmers across the country, helping them produce healthier outputs.
Biobuu is promoting sustainable agriculture in Tanzania by converting organic wastes into inputs for producing healthier outputs. It is eliminating wastage and reliance on unhealthy chemicals for farm inputs. It is also helping to solve organic waste management problems and indirectly contributing to reducing methane emissions.
EzyAgric
Year Founded: 2015
Location: Kampala, Uganda
EzyAgric is an Agtech startup revolutionizing farming and agri-produce distributions in East Africa. The company leverages ICT to improve efficiency in agricultural production, marketing, and delivery for farmers and other players in the agriculture value chain.
EzyAgric operates a value chain digitization platform serving the needs of stakeholders across every stage of the agricultural value chain. The platform incorporates an agri-shop for easy farm input sourcing, farm record management functionalities, credit and financing access, market linkage, and advisory solutions for farmers.
Ezyagric is contributing significantly to agricultural development in East Africa. Earlier this year, it was awarded for improving agricultural productivity and efficiency in Africa at the World Banks’ Africa-Korea Agtech summit. It has also benefited from multiple awards, grants, and funding to further improve its service to clients.
Hello Tractor
Year Founded: 2014
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Hello Tractor is an Agtech startup improving access to mechanization for smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa. The company connects farmers needing mechanized farming equipment with owners willing to lease out their equipment, primarily tractors.
The company facilitates tractor leasing for farmers through its digital marketplace. Tractor owners looking to lease out their equipment can search the platform for farmers needing them. Also, farmers can register on the platform and make pre-payments and advance requests for a tractor lease for a specific date.
Tractor access is a significant problem limiting many smallholder farmers in Africa from scaling up their operations. Hello Tractor is helping farmers circumnavigate this problem. Thus, it simplifies their operations and improves their productivity. The company is making plant agriculture more attractive and lucrative for farmers through its operations. In addition, it is bridging the gap created by labor supply decline across the continent.
UjuziKilimo
Year Founded: 2016
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
UjuziKilimo is an agricultural technology company facilitating crop yield improvement and process optimization for farmers in East Africa. The company develops innovative mechanisms that leverage data to provide actionable insight for farmers.
The company’s primary product is a mobile-based soil measuring tool that analyzes soil characteristics and compares the information with existing databases to give farmers accurate soil condition report for precision farming.
The tool incorporates sensors that collect soil information and machine learning algorithms for analyzing the data. Based on its analysis report, it then provides actionable agronomic insights and business intelligence for farmers.
The company enables farmers to increase their crop productivity by helping them make data-driven decisions. Thus, it contributes to food security improvements and the development of a sustainable agricultural value chain in Africa.
AgriBORA
Year Founded: 2018
Location: Kisumu, Kenya
AgriBORA is an agricultural financier and digital solutions provider transforming African agrarian systems through innovation and disruptive technologies. The company helps farmers access farm inputs and financing to aid their operations and productivity.
AgriBORA operates a digital ecosystem connecting partners from different agricultural value chain parts. It mainly caters to the primary needs of farmers by providing them with inputs, finances, and market access.
The company’s Agri-fin-tech business model is aimed at derisking smallholder farming while balancing the use of technology with the human touch through its affordable, convenient and reliable solutions.
Stable Foods
Year Founded: 2021
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Stable Foods is an ag-tech venture helping smallholder farmers in Africa scale their operations and achieve maximum productivity. The company provides low-cost and sustainable productivity solutions for farmers.
Stable Foods operates a consolidated farming solutions system. It provides an irrigation-as-a-service subscription solution for smallholder farmers, enabling them to sign up for irrigation services at their convenience. The company also provides farming inputs and regenerative agriculture mechanisms to foster farm sustainability.
Stable Foods also caters to the post-harvest needs of farmers by giving them access to proprietary and proven sales channels. Hence, it is helping farmers avoid spoilage and post-harvest losses.
Stable Foods aims to assist players at different levels of the agriculture value chain to access what they need to run their operations successfully. The company is achieving this by providing farmers with inputs during production and market access during post-harvest and giving off-takers direct channels to fresh farm produce.
Taimba Limited
Year Founded: 2018
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Taimba Limited is a logistics and supply chain technology company revolutionizing the East African agricultural sector by connecting small-scale farmers directly with consumers. The company empowers farmers in Kenya by providing them with access to fair and transparent markets while also giving consumers access to fresh and high-quality produce.
Taimba connects producers and retailers of agriculture products to consumers through its digital infrastructure. The platform allows consumers to conveniently order produce and have it delivered to their doorstep directly from farms without involving intermediaries.
Taimba Limited is improving the agricultural supply chain by eliminating intermediaries and giving farmers direct channels to consumers; that way, the company is helping farmers make higher profits on their produce, enabling them to improve their livelihoods and scale up their operations.
Apollo Agriculture
Year Founded: 2016
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Apollo Agriculture is a pioneering agricultural technology company revolutionizing smallholder farming in Africa. The startup combines advanced data analytics, mobile technology, and innovative financial solutions to help farmers improve their productivity.
At its core, Apollo Agriculture gives smallholder farmers easy access to essential resources and services. The company leverages satellite imagery, machine learning algorithms, and on-the-ground agronomic expertise to deliver personalized recommendations and agronomic insights to farmers.
Apollo Agriculture aims to empower farmers and transform their livelihoods. But beyond the individual benefits to farmers, the company significantly impacts local communities and economies. By increasing crop yields and improving farming practices, it is enhancing food security and contributing to economic growth in rural areas.
