AgriTech Analytics is a leading Kenyan agri-tech company co-founded by Maryanne Gichanga, Douglas Mwangi and Juliet Wanjohi. Based in Nairobi, the company specializes in solar-powered IoT sensors and satellite data analytics that provide real-time data to optimize crop and soil management, and boost agricultural productivity. It focuses on smallholder farmers in Africa, particularly those with less than 2 hectares of land. By offering cost-effective pricing models, the company makes advanced agricultural technology accessible and affordable to the last mile.The company’s mission is to empower smallholder farmers with advanced technological solutions, ensuring food security, enhancing yields, and fostering climate resilience in Africa. It has been recognized globally; awarded the Presidential Innovation Award 2024 by the Kenyan President H.E DR. William Ruto in Statehouse Nairobi, Agritech of the Year Africa 2023 by GIZ, Women Empowerment Award 2023 by Bayer Foundation, and Youth Adaptation Challenge by AfDB and Global Centre for Adaptation.
Relative to 1970-79, the frequency of droughts in sub-Saharan Africa tripled by 2010-21 due to climate change and global warming causing abrupt changes in weather patterns. This year, 6 million people in Kenya are being threatened by acute hunger and starvation. To tackle this, we developed a technology that integrates satellite data analytics, and data from our solar-powered IoT (crop and soil) sensor to halt and reverse soil degradation, crop pests and diseases. First, the sensor is installed in the farm and it captures soil health parameters (pH, moisture, temp, soil nutrient levels, NPK, etc) for precise soil inputs like fertilizers, pesticides and water. It then scans crop leaves and stems to instantly detect crop pests and diseases. These data are combined with satellite imagery to produce over 97% accurate reports/alerts sent to small-scale farmers via their phones. It instantly detects 1,500 crop pests and 1,400 diseases to prevent crop losses. Farmers also get 63% reduction in the cost of farm inputs due to accurate and targeted farm inputs application. It increases crop yields by 57% in 3-5 months and to over 75% annually. It enhances water, fertilizer and pesticide usage reduction by 65%, 75% and 80% respectively. Its scouting feature helps identify under-performing crops, the sensor scans the affected crops to determine the problems and solutions, and alerts the farmer via phone. It issues 15 days weather forecasts and 20 years satellite farm data to farmers for easier planning. Additionally, farmers use our over 95% accurate Crop Yield Prediction Tool as collateral to acquire loans from banks. For example, 4,298 women farmers received loans of USD236,900 in 6 months using the tool.
Joining the African Impact Challenge aligns perfectly with our company’s mission and vision. The impact we envision includes growing our product adoption and impact by increasing our monthly users from 5,930 to 20,000, and expand from 4 to 8 drought-prone counties in Kenya and expand to 2 additional African countries (Uganda, Tanzania). This will reclaim over 54,000 hectares of land from soil degradation. Upgrade our crop and soil management sensor to increase detectable crop pests from 1,500 to 3,000, and diseases from 1,300 to over 2,500, then communicate to farmers instantly via; mobile application, online platform and SMSs, to stop crop destruction. Additionally, reduce soil health analysis lead-time (to get accurate soil inputs) to 1 minute from the current 5.7 minutes. This will help increase crop yields from 75% to over 85% per ha annually and 50-200% profitability. Currently, our solution helps farmers reduce farm input costs by 63% by conducting soil health analysis to determine precise soil parameters and soil inputs thus facilitating accurate and targeted farm inputs application. Through the African Impact Challenge, we will increase this to over 75% in order to save the farmers more costs and increase incomes. For financial empowerment and inclusion, smallholder farmers can now use our 95% accurate Crop Yield Prediction Tool as collateral to acquire loans from banks to purchase seeds and fertilizers. For example, in 6 months, 2,298 women farmers used the tool to acquire loans of USD136,900 from Vision Afrika Sacco. The African Impact Challenge will help us increase this number to over 10,000 smallholder farmers.It’s 75% cheaper than alternatives. Every month we record 85,000+ onsite soil health tests conducted by the farmers using our sensors to get accurate soil inputs. The Challenge will help the company increase this by 37% in 6 months. We integrate indigenous knowledge into our solution through; built strategic partnerships with partnerships with 4 counties, 14 farmer cooperatives, 18 women farmer groups and 23 local agrovet outlets which helps align our strategies with community needs. The Challenge will help the company to grow this to 55 for each category and create over 200 direct and indirect jobs.
