The emergence of technology without borders, poses a unique opportunity for actors within the Agric sector to innovate and create long sustainable products and value in Africa.
From crowd funding to digital innovation services, young Ghanaian agri-tech-entrepreneurs are changing the Agric landscape and offering new meaning to farming.
These agritech startups leverage on technology, artificial intelligence and digital marketing tools to help farmers mitigate farm risks and disasters with primary focus on improving quality, sustainability and profit.
In this part series, and in no particular order of prominence, we look at ten agritech companies in Ghana and what they do.
Join our WhatsApp Channel for more news
Agrocenta
Founders: Francis Obikorang and Michael Ocansey
Founding year: 2016
Agrocenta combines cutting edge digital solutions and traditional-on-the-grounds operations to provide rural farmers access to markets and financial support.
By leveraging their cropchain and LendIt digital platforms, Agrocenta is able to provide well structured markets devoid of middle men and ludicrous prices, while actively providing farmers digital services such as micro lending and crop insurance schemes respectively.
Agrocenta onboards farmers, facilitates trade deals on their behalves and provides them with market data and statistics.
In January 2021, Agrocenta raised $790k from shell Foundation, FCDO, AV Ventures and Rabo Foundation to scale its ecosystem.
Kwidex
Founders: Seyram Mantey, Eugene Asiedu and Prince Asamoah
Founding year: 2018
Kwidex is an agritech platform that allows users to own part of farms in profits. By simply investing in farms, you get to share in the returns of produce from the said farm.
As Ghana’s biggest crowdfunding platform, it connects Ghanaian farmers to investors.
Kwidex’s model offers investors a unique opportunity to share in the agricultural value space as well as the provision of a wide range financial support to farmers.
Kwidex is set to be valued over $150k in seed capital.
Trotro Tractor
Founders: Kamal Yakubu and Adam Muhammad Muhideen
Founding year: 2016
Like ride hailing services, trotro tractor is an on demand agritech platform that connects farmers to tractor operating services. Using digital innovative technology, trotro tractor allows farmers to request, schedule and pay for tractor services on their farms.
With an integrated IoT devices on tractors, owners are able to monitor and track location and performance of their tractors on field.
They’re primarily aimed at providing rural farmers with affordable mechanized farming equipment as and when needed and an opportunity for tractor owners to make profit on their tractors.
Trotro tractor raised over $50k from the Kosmos Innovation Center and Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology.
Farmerline
Founders : Alloysius Atta and Emmanuel Addai
Founding year: 2013
Farmerline connects farmers to markets, finance, weather forecast, new farming tips, inputs dealers and equipment services.
Through their information services, farmers receive SMS and voice messages on weather forecasts, market prices, agrochemical applications etc in their local languages on their phones.
Farmers are also able to buy farm inputs and access certain services through Farmerline’s services.
I’m 2021, farmerline’s CEO was named as Bloomberg New Economy Catalyst
Profish
Founders: Roselina Nketsia, Alex Calvin Gbetie, Benjamin Setor Aflakpui and Emmanuel Tetteh Apeku
Founding year: 2019
Profish (Lajaanor) is a local business using technology to improve Ghana’s fisheries supply chain. Through connecting fishers with fish processors, retailers, and restaurants, Profish is enabling the local community to improve logistical efficiency while decreasing cost.
The technology runs on USSD application.
In 2019, Profish won €7,500 for their digital innovation services at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Accra.
