Digital Agriculture in LMICs - 6 Jun #17
Agri-fintech on the rise as Indonesia’s Semaai eyes new funding and Kenya’s agriBORA launches Agri DFS, African farmers to benefit from Vodafone’s AI/IoT enabled NRM solution
01/06/23
Indonesia’s Semaai reportedly close to raise funding and launch agri DFS
According to reports, Indonesia’s agritech Semaai, a marketplace app for agricultural inputs, is close to raising additional funding in the range of USD 3 to 5 million. The funds will be used to develop and launch a new agri digital financial services (Agri DFS), as the agritech aims to build an end-to-end platform solution for farmers and agri retailers (toko tanis). Established in 2021, Semaai leverages a network of agri retailers and its own network of delivery centres. In February, the agritech raised USD 1.65 million in a bridge funding round led by Accion Venture Lab and XA Network, a year after raising USD 1.3 million in a pre-seed funding round.
01/06/23
agriBORA launches digital agriculture solutions for Kenyan farmers
Agri-fintech start-up agriBORA has unveiled new digital agriculture services at the tech start-up event GITEX Africa in Marrakech, Morocco. Headquartered in Germany with operations in Kenya, agriBORA has a B2B2C Software as a Service (SaaS) solution named agriHUB, a one-stop-shop for farmers to interact and transact from inputs to markets. It now plans to launch AgriWALLET, to support farmers to proactively manage their finances, and agriPOS, to enable last mile business partners to interact and transact seamlessly with farmers. In the near future, the start-up is planning to also launch agriKOPA, an agri-input credit recommendation service based on farmer transactions and activities at the agriHUB, which leverages satellite data and blockchain to provide a more objective assessment of lending risks. Founded in 2018, agriBORA has to date raised USD 100,000 in funding, according to Crunchbase.
29/05/23
Vodafone leverages IoT, AI to prevent human-wildlife conflict
Vodafone is developing a natural resource management (NRM) solution using the Internet of Things (IoT) to prevent human-wildlife conflict in Africa. This kind of solution can play a crucial role in preventing loss of crops or livestock for smallholder farmers. It will work 24/7 using a combination of solar power and rechargeable batteries. Three to four cameras will search the entire circumference of a given area, which is illuminated with infra-red lights, to sense when an animal is approaching. Using deep learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and other computer vision algorithms, animals are detected and identified, triggering an appropriate deterrent such as flashing lights or a specific noise. At the same time, IoT connectivity is used to send SMS alerts to the local community. A wild elephant or lion can lead to a complete loss of crops or livestock for smallholder farmers.
In other news..
03/06/23
Digitalisation a priority for smallholder agriculture, says G20 policy brief
Think20 (T20), the research and policy advice network for the G20, has published a new policy brief Harnessing Digitalisation to Promote Equitable and Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems: Policy and Investment Priorities for the G20. The paper highlights the need to prioritise digitalisation efforts with a view to ensure that smallholder producers are not excluded. It finds that access and accessibility remain key constraints to digital agriculture adoption. While small farms are found in significant numbers across G20 countries, farmers in China, India, and Indonesia do not have adequate access to 3G networks. Another area that needs more attention, according to the researchers, is the heterogeneity in systems, institutions, and actors, which inhibits the scaling of digital solutions in the agri-food sector.
31/05/23
Pitch AgriHack 2023: Cash grants up for grabs for young African agritechs
NGO Heifer International and Generation Africa, a thematic platform of AGRF, have announced the launch of the Pitch AgriHack 2023 competition, which for the third year will award cash grants to young African agritechs. Again for 2023, total prize money will be USD 45,000, in addition to continued support to scale up innovations. The competition consists of three categories: Early-stage, Mature/Growth-stage, and Women-led ventures. Three winners and three runners-up will be selected in each category, with each winner receiving a cash prize of USD 10,000 and each runner-up receiving USD 5,000. Heifer International is also the organiser of the AYuTe (Agriculture, Youth, Technology) Africa Challenge. There is time to apply for the Pitch AgriHack until 3 July.