Tech

Ghanaian Agri-tech startup, Farmerline, seals $12.9m pre-Series A funding

Published

3 years ago

April 27, 2022

A Ghanaian Agri-tech startup, Farmerline, has secured a $6.4m pre-Series A investment funding, plus another $6.5m in debt financing to help it expand.

The funding is Farmerline’s first raised equity since launching with a $600 grant almost a decade ago.

Lenders of the $6.5 million debt financing include DEG, Rabobank, Ceniarth, Rippleworks, Mulago Foundation, Whole Planet Foundation, Netri Foundation and Kiva.

The firm which prides itself as the “Amazon for African farmers”, was launched in 2013 by the duo of Alloysius Attah and Emmanuel Owusu Addai, and partners with agri-businesses and farm associations to support farmers across the African continent with high-quality fertiliser and seeds, free education on climate-smart farming practices, and an access to international markets.

According to Attah, the Farmerline marketplace combines digital tools with logistics, field agents, farm resources and strategic partnerships, while the company’s in-house technology platform, Mergdata, is “licensed by global food traders and manufacturers who use its customisable tools to improve the lives of farmers around the world.”

“To date, Farmerline has digitised over one million farmers through partnerships across 26 countries, and with the new funding on board, it is planning greater scale,” Attah said.

“At the peak of the pandemic, local agricultural SMEs played a vital role in ensuring food security, supporting farmers, supplying agricultural inputs, and distributing to final consumers.

“With this new investment, we will scale the AI capabilities within Farmerline’s Mergdata platform to help increase the income of farmers and agri-businesses, supporting them to access farm inputs, supplying them with assets such as tricycles, tractors and threshers, and connecting them to global markets,” he added.

“Farmerline’s goal has always been to create lasting wealth for farmers and their communities. To do that at scale, we’re expanding our operations across regions and are actively on the lookout for the best talent to help build an efficient supply chain that saves money for agribusinesses, reduces the cost of farming and the time it takes for people to get services to rural areas.

“We must ensure that local agribusinesses grow because when they do, we all succeed,” his partner, Addai said.

Related Topics:#agriculture Farmerline Featured fintech

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Tech

Kenya’s ticketing startup BuuPass partners Flexpay for flexible travel payments

Published

2 days ago

December 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Kenyan digital ticketing startup, BuuPass, has entered into a partnership with goal-based savings platform, Flexpay, to offer customers flexible payment plans ahead of holiday travels as well as simplify travel planning and ease the financial burden of holiday travel for Kenyans.

Co-founder and CEO at Buupass, Sonia Kabra, who unveiled the package at a press conference, said the collaboration between the two platforms will allow travellers to save for their journeys in manageable, interest-free installments over four to 12 weeks.

“Travelers can select their travel dates, book tickets, and pay a small deposit upfront, with the remaining balance spread across weekly or monthly payments,” she said.

“This approach offers a stress-free way for families and large groups to secure their tickets early, helping them avoid last-minute price hikes as fares are locked in.

“By partnering with Flexpay, we’re giving travelers the flexibility to budget for their trips in advance. This initiative aligns with our mission to make travel accessible to everyone, providing a solution that meets customers where they are financially,” said Kabra.

Also speaking at the event, Richard Machomba, CEO and founder of Flexpay, said:

“Flexpay’s mission is to empower individuals by providing accessible financial solutions that make it easier for them to achieve their financial goals.

“By partnering with BuuPass, we’re making travel more accessible and stress-free for Kenyans, especially during the holiday season when expenses can be overwhelming,” Machomba added.

Founded in 2016 by Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, BuuPass is a B2B2C mobility marketplace that enables users to search, compare, and book travel tickets via web, app, or USSD, while its SaaS platform helps bus operators manage their operations, inventory, and sales.

FlexPay, on the other hand, is an online and offline payment gateway that allows merchants to offer interest-free targeted savings to their customers in Africa.

Tech

DR Congo sues tech giant Apple over illegal mineral exploitation

Published

3 days ago

December 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has filed a criminal case against the European subsidiaries of tech giant, Apple, accusing them of illegal mineral exploitation and allegedly using “blood minerals” in its supply chain.

In the suit filed on Tuesday, the DRC alleges that Apple has bought contraband supplies from the country’s conflict-ladden east and Rwanda, zones in which it allege the materials are mined illegally and then integrated into global supply chains before ending up in tech devices.

The DRC suit specifically mentioned Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech giant of using conflict minerals in its supply chain.

The DRC is a major source of tin, tantalum, and tungsten which are used in electronic devices, with some mines controlled by armed groups responsible for human rights violations.

International lawyers representing the African country’s government have accused Apple’s local subsidiaries of taking these minerals from conflict areas and laundering them through international supply chains, with one lawyer telling journalists that Belgium had a moral duty to act given its history of exploiting the country’s resources under colonial rule.

However, in its response, Apple claims it conducts supplier audits and does not directly source primary minerals.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1262670-dr-congo-sues-apple-over-alleged-illegal-mineral-exploitation