Acumen

Raino Tech4Impact is a social enterprise that leveraging technology as an enabler to empower African communities. Founded in 2014, They have been developing technology-driven solutions in health, agriculture, sports, green energy and offer business support services. In partnership with various key players in different sectors, they have developed unique and efficient different use cases of technological solutions impacting millions of lives.

SunCulture, located in Nairobi, Kenya, specializes in solar-powered drip irrigation systems designed to enhance agricultural productivity while promoting sustainability. Their flagship product, the AgroSolar Irrigation Kit, integrates solar water pumping technology with high-efficiency drip irrigation, equipping farmers with the necessary tools to increase crop yields and optimize water usage. SunCulture distinguishes itself as a comprehensive resource for Kenyan farmers by offering not only the irrigation systems but also agronomic services, educational training, and access to financing and markets. This holistic approach addresses the needs of smallholder farmers, enabling them to grow food more efficiently while minimizing fertilizer waste through direct application in irrigation systems. By combining innovative technology with essential support services, SunCulture aims to empower rural communities and improve their agricultural outcomes.

AquaRech includes Farm management that enhances fish production, enables access to the market & promotes equal trade.

IncluirTec is an AgriFintech company that leverages technology to provide formal credit access to underserved communities through its SaaS platform. Its mission is to promote health and financial inclusion for smallholder farmers and rural microentrepreneurs by simplifying origination and access, making it quicker and 100% digital, establishing trust between producers and Financial Institutions. IncluirTec's algorithm assesses the risk of lending money to smallholder farmers and rural microentrepreneurs. This assessment takes into consideration their economic and productive capacities as well as open data market information. Based on this assessment, Financial Institutions can grant credits under conditions that reflect their ability to payback.

SokoFresh is a social enterprise that specializes in cold storage solutions and digital market linkage for small and medium-scale farmers. By offering reliable off-grid cold storage facilities, the company aims to reduce logistical costs and minimize post-harvest losses in the fruit, vegetable, and fish value chains. SokoFresh provides aggregation infrastructure and essential market connections, enabling farmers and buyers to improve produce handling during harvesting. Through these services, the enterprise supports smallholder farmers in accessing better storage options and market opportunities, ultimately enhancing their productivity and profitability.

BharatRohan is a technology company based in Hyderabad, India, that specializes in agricultural data collection using UAV-based hyperspectral imaging. Founded in 2016, it provides farmers with actionable insights to reduce crop losses and optimize agricultural inputs, thereby maximizing yield and profitability. By utilizing advanced remote sensing techniques and artificial intelligence, BharatRohan enables precision agriculture and integrated pest management. The company offers a range of services, including realistic prescriptions for pest and fertilizer treatments, as well as forecasting services for crop yield, biomass, and development status. By capturing minute physiological activities in crops, BharatRohan helps farmers make informed decisions that enhance productivity while minimizing costs.

Lizard Earth is a producer and distributor of cocoa from Eastern Sierra Leone.

Kheyti is a business consulting and advisory service established in 2015 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, aimed at supporting farmers in India with their technical and financial needs. The company offers a range of services, including low-cost farming alternatives, farming consultation, financial assistance, and training for farmers. By providing these resources, Kheyti seeks to empower farmers to successfully initiate and expand their agricultural enterprises, thereby enhancing rural business opportunities.

Rural populations forced reliance on biomass and kerosene for their energy needs is causing over 1.6M# deaths per annum. Their lack of access to clean water causes over 5M people to die; 2M of them are children under the age of 5. RVE.SOL's _Changing Rural Life Forever_ initiative is creating alternative, renewable energy choices for the rural poor, allowing them to take advantage of natural resources like sunlight, cattle manure and raw water to manage their own way to a better future. Our _KUDURA_ rural village energy hub is community managed; provides communities with potable water, solar electricity, biogas for cooking and organic fertiliser for agriculture. A holistic approach, the solution seeks to target the four areas of rural life that prevalently cause poverty to propagate: 1. Access to clean water to obviate transmission of water borne disease 2. Access to renewable electricity to obviate the dependance on kerosene for light and improve children's opportunity to study at night 3. Access to Biogas to obviate mass destruction of primary forest in a bid to be able to cook food 4. Access to fertiliser to reinvigorate over-used soils and so increase quality and quantity of crop harvest for subsistence farmers. Ultimately, this approach seeks to create wealth for rural farmers by offering a choie of more cost effective and efficient services utilising naturally available resources.

Simusolar increases rural prosperity by selling and financing productive equipment to farmers and small businesses. It provides and finances accessible, affordable, and energy-efficient equipment designed for off-grid businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its systems are designed to meet the needs of rural smallholders, from equipment specifications to innovative financing terms.

Uncommon Cacao is an industry-leading premium cacao supply chain operation. It started its work in 2010, building Maya Mountain Cacao in Belize to create meaningful market access for smallholder cacao farmers. After catalyzing unparalleled impact for farmer families in the country, and receiving enormous demand for their product and process, in 2013 Uncommon Cacao founded Cacao Verapaz in Guatemala. These companies have revolutionized local economies by linking smallholder farmers to the specialty cacao industry, through a focus on consistently delivering quality beans.

Farmers Hope produces organic fertilizer using locally available ingredients which provide crops nutrients & nourishes the soil.

Under the Mango Tree is a hybrid social enterprise that brings a variety of natural, organic, and sustainable honey to support rural livelihoods. UTMT aims to promote community-based beekeeping as a specific solution to declining agricultural productivity and improvement of livelihoods of marginal farmers across India.

Sanergy, Inc. is dedicated to enhancing sanitation infrastructure in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. The company aims to provide accessible and hygienic sanitation facilities by establishing a network of low-cost sanitation centers that include toilets and hot showers. These centers are franchised to local entrepreneurs with support from microfinance institutions. Sanergy also implements a waste collection system, where human waste is safely removed and transported to a central processing facility. At this facility, the waste undergoes anaerobic digestion to produce biogas, which is converted into electricity for sale to the national grid, and organic fertilizers, which are marketed to commercial farms and smallholder farmers. By creating a sustainable sanitation cycle, Sanergy promotes the fundamental right to sanitation and improves living conditions for residents in urban areas lacking sewer infrastructure. The company was founded in 2010 and operates from Atlanta, Georgia.

The two year old firm was started by Symbiosis Institute of Management alumnus Patidar and has grown its network to work with 23,000 farmers from more than 300 villages across five districts in Madhya Pradesh. It also operates 272 primary milk collection centres, where milk is tested and evaluated, and smallholder farmers receive an instant receipt for the quality and quantity of milk delivered.

Esoko Networks Limited operates a mobile-based market information exchange tailored for individuals, businesses, and agricultural projects in Africa. Founded in 2007 and based in Accra, Ghana, the platform delivers personalized market price alerts, buy and sell offers, and agricultural advice directly to farmers via SMS. By providing essential information such as market prices, weather forecasts, and growing tips, Esoko aims to enhance agricultural yields and profitability. The company also supports businesses in connecting with farmers, offering apps and services that facilitate marketing, monitoring, and sourcing. Esoko's ecosystem includes content, software, and field support, enabling NGOs, mobile operators, and governments to track market trends and improve communication in rural communities. Through its innovative approach, Esoko aims to promote market transparency and efficiency, transforming African agricultural markets into more viable opportunities for both individuals and businesses while reducing operational costs for organizations.

Esoko Networks Limited operates a mobile-based market information exchange tailored for individuals, businesses, and agricultural projects in Africa. Founded in 2007 and based in Accra, Ghana, the platform delivers personalized market price alerts, buy and sell offers, and agricultural advice directly to farmers via SMS. By providing essential information such as market prices, weather forecasts, and growing tips, Esoko aims to enhance agricultural yields and profitability. The company also supports businesses in connecting with farmers, offering apps and services that facilitate marketing, monitoring, and sourcing. Esoko's ecosystem includes content, software, and field support, enabling NGOs, mobile operators, and governments to track market trends and improve communication in rural communities. Through its innovative approach, Esoko aims to promote market transparency and efficiency, transforming African agricultural markets into more viable opportunities for both individuals and businesses while reducing operational costs for organizations.

EthioChicken operates as a poultry production company in East Africa, with its primary entities being AGP Poultry PLC, Mekelle Farms Ltd, and Andasa Poultry PLC. The company focuses on breeding and hatching day-old chickens, as well as producing affordable blended feed. By partnering with smallholder farmers, EthioChicken aims to improve nutrition and enhance the livelihoods of rural farmers, while also creating income opportunities in the region. The company’s efforts contribute to making poultry products more accessible, thereby supporting local economies and food security.

SiembraViva is an online platform based in Sibundoy, Colombia, that facilitates the sale of organic produce from small farmers to urban consumers. The company focuses on promoting regenerative organic agriculture by connecting these producers directly with environmentally conscious customers. SiembraViva specializes in organic vegetables and offers a range of organic certified products, supporting local farmers while providing consumers with access to fresh, sustainable food options.

Global Easy Water Products (GEWP) specializes in distributing affordable irrigation technologies aimed at enhancing the productivity and income of smallholder farmers. By providing drip irrigation products, including drip tapes, sprinklers, and various components like fertilizer tanks and valves, GEWP has enabled farmers in India to increase their crop yields by 30 to 70 percent. The technology also promotes significant water savings, ranging from 30 to 50 percent. Additionally, through innovative technology transfer initiatives, GEWP's products are now being utilized by small-scale farmers in Pakistan, further expanding their impact on agricultural efficiency and farmer livelihoods. Overall, GEWP plays a crucial role in improving agricultural practices and economic outcomes for farmers in these regions.

Sanergy, Inc. is dedicated to enhancing sanitation infrastructure in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. The company aims to provide accessible and hygienic sanitation facilities by establishing a network of low-cost sanitation centers that include toilets and hot showers. These centers are franchised to local entrepreneurs with support from microfinance institutions. Sanergy also implements a waste collection system, where human waste is safely removed and transported to a central processing facility. At this facility, the waste undergoes anaerobic digestion to produce biogas, which is converted into electricity for sale to the national grid, and organic fertilizers, which are marketed to commercial farms and smallholder farmers. By creating a sustainable sanitation cycle, Sanergy promotes the fundamental right to sanitation and improves living conditions for residents in urban areas lacking sewer infrastructure. The company was founded in 2010 and operates from Atlanta, Georgia.

BASIX Krishi delivers affordable extension services to smallholder farmers in India. The company trains and employs a network of Livelihood Service Providers (LSPs), extension agents who visit each customer at least once a fortnight. BASIX Krishi provides services that enhance farmers’ productivity and reduce input costs, thereby increasing farmers’ overall income.

National Rural Support Program (NRSP) Microfinance Bank is the first agency to provide financial services to rural, agricultural markets in Pakistan. With 120 million people in Pakistan dependent upon agriculture and lacking financial services, NRSP Microfinance Bank plans to focus on rural communities of highest need and serve nearly 625,000 borrowers in the next five years.

Juhudi Kilimo provides asset financing, technical assistance, and business training services to smallholder farmers and small-to-medium agro businesses in Kenya. It offers financing for dairy cows and goats; poultry, pigs, rabbits, and other livestock as well as fish farming; agricultural equipment, including irrigation, agro-processing, and energy-related equipment; and motorcycles, bicycles, and other vehicles primarily to transport farm goods. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Gulu Agricultural Development Company (GADC) is a cotton ginning enterprise that supports over 55,000 smallholder farmers in Northern Uganda by facilitating their access to both national and international agricultural markets. The company focuses on revitalizing the region's cotton industry, which has been severely affected by years of conflict and instability. In addition to providing essential agricultural inputs to enhance crop yields, GADC offers agricultural extension and post-harvest management services. The company purchases cotton and sesame from farmers for cash, ensuring they have immediate financial support. Furthermore, GADC cleans, processes, packages, and exports these products to exclusive buyers, thereby improving production efficiency and market access for smallholder farmers. This initiative not only aids in economic recovery but also helps former refugees rebuild their livelihoods.

Western Seed is a Kenya-based company whose mission is to address the lack of maize productivity among smallholder farms in East Africa. Using its hybrid seed varieties allows farmers to double crop yields and increase their income. In the last two growing seasons, Western Seed reached more than 300,000 farmers. By 2014, Western Seed hopes to impact 800,000 households which translates into more than 4 million people.

Micro Drip markets and distributes affordable drip irrigation technology in Pakistan. Its systems reduce the amount of water smallholder farmers need to cultivate an acre of land by 50 percent, improve yields by 40 percent, and lower input costs by 30 percent. And, because they allow for year-round farming, fewer farmers and their families are forced to migrate during the dry season. Micro Drip has already reached more than 3,000 farmers, and over the next five years has the potential to impact 20,000+ farmers.

Micro Drip markets and distributes affordable drip irrigation technology in Pakistan. Its systems reduce the amount of water smallholder farmers need to cultivate an acre of land by 50 percent, improve yields by 40 percent, and lower input costs by 30 percent. And, because they allow for year-round farming, fewer farmers and their families are forced to migrate during the dry season. Micro Drip has already reached more than 3,000 farmers, and over the next five years has the potential to impact 20,000+ farmers.

Drishtee Development And Communication Ltd. operates a rural network aimed at delivering goods, services, and information to village communities across India. Founded in 2000 and based in Noida, the company enhances rural livelihoods by creating jobs and facilitating access to various resources. It establishes kiosks managed by local entrepreneurs, providing a range of products such as eyeglasses, agricultural items, books, lighting, and mobile phones. Additionally, Drishtee offers essential services including healthcare, microfinance, e-government, and education. The company also connects rural areas to outside markets through business process outsourcing and its own sales platform, Drishtee Haat. With over 14,000 registered entrepreneurs, Drishtee's operations span multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh.