Kenyan Agri-Tech Startup Secures Funding from U.S. Investor

Kenyan B2B agri-tech startup Taimba has secured a USD100,000 cash infusion from U.S.-based impact investor Gray Matters Capital, writes Venture Burn.

Taimba sources agricultural products including potatoes directly from farmers and delivers them directly to informal greengrocers, schools, hospitals and restaurants in the Nairobi region, thus removing the middlemen and shrinking the agricultural value chain.

The startup currently gathers over 2,000 farmers under its portfolio and engages with 15 farmer savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) selling fresh produce. On the other hand, it has more than 300 customers.

The investment, which comes under Gray Matter Capital’s gender lens portfolio GMC coLABS, will allow Taimba to expand into six more markets in Nairobi. According to Dominique Kavuisya, co-founder and CEO of Taimba the capital injection will also enable the startup to strengthen their warehouse infrastructure by setting up cold storage facilities and also their delivery logistics.

The startup is said to be planning to pilot in Mombasa and Kisumu by next year and also has plans on using technology to fine-tune traceability throughout the value chain – from seeds to other farm inputs.

It’s not the first time Grey Matter Capital is investing in Africa, as the firm has also poured funds in Rwanda, Ghana, and Nigeria.