- Acumen has invested in Ghanaian agritech startup Wami Agro to support its mission of improving smallholder farmers’ livelihoods, reducing poverty, and strengthening food security.
- Wami Agro offers tech-enabled solutions, including market access, credit facilities, and capacity-building programs, to help farmers increase yields and incomes while building climate resilience.
- The company has already impacted over 14,000 smallholder farmers in Ghana, with plans to expand to Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso and reach 100,000 farmers by 2027.
- The investment is part of Acumen’s Trellis initiative, supported by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), highlighting the importance of agritech in addressing food security challenges in West Africa.
Acumen, a global impact investment fund, has announced a strategic investment in Wami Agro, a Ghana-based agritech startup dedicated to transforming the agricultural landscape in West Africa. The investment, made under Acumen’s Trellis initiative, aims to support Wami Agro’s mission to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, reduce poverty, and strengthen food security in the region.
Smallholder farmers form the backbone of Ghana’s agricultural sector, accounting for 70% of the workforce. However, they face significant challenges, including limited access to credit, unpredictable market conditions, and vulnerability to climate-related shocks. These obstacles hinder productivity and income potential, leaving many farmers trapped in poverty.
Wami Agro addresses these challenges through a bundled package of tech-enabled solutions designed to increase incomes, improve quality of life, and enhance climate resilience for smallholder farmers. The company’s services are divided into three key areas:
- Wami Market: Utilizing a fleet of trucks and the proprietary “Pukpara” platform, Wami Agro collects, sorts, and transports agricultural produce to domestic and international markets, ensuring farmers receive fair prices and guaranteed market access.
- Wami Credit: A digital platform that provides credit scoring for Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), enabling farmers to access seeds, fertilizers, and mechanical equipment on credit.
- Wami Info: Capacity-building initiatives that equip farmers with knowledge, resources, and climate-resilient farming practices.
Since its inception, Wami Agro has built a network of over 14,000 smallholder farmers across six regions in Ghana, 55% of whom are women. The company collaborates with approximately 50 aggregators and producers, selling over 5,000 tons of grains annually. Wami Agro’s efforts have already helped farmers increase yields by an average of 44% and boost incomes by 25-30% per planting season.
With Acumen’s investment, Wami Agro plans to scale its operations, expand sourcing to neighboring countries such as Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso, and roll out its Pukpara digital farm management platform. The company aims to impact 100,000 farmers by 2027, helping them secure consistent incomes, improve productivity, and build climate resilience.
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“This strategic investment from Acumen will enable us to expand our reach, enhance our technological capabilities, and continue to drive positive change in the food and agricultural industry in Ghana and beyond,” said Caleb Edwards, Founder of Wami Agro.
Babatunde Usman, an investment manager on Acumen’s West Africa team, praised Wami Agro’s innovative approach, stating, “Wami Agro represents the type of innovative, technology-driven enterprise that can fundamentally reshape agricultural ecosystems. Their commitment to smallholder farmers aligns perfectly with Acumen’s values, and we are excited to support their efforts to create sustainable agricultural impact at scale.”
The Trellis initiative, which supports Wami Agro, is funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). This partnership underscores the growing recognition of the critical role agritech startups play in addressing food security and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.
