Agritech Startup Ecosystem Map in Nigeria by Region

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Nigeria, with its population of over 200 million, is one of Africa’s most important agricultural markets. In the past decade, agritech startups have emerged to address productivity gaps, financing, market linkages, and post-harvest losses. Their solutions are now shaping how food is grown, moved, and consumed across the country.

This report maps some of the most impactful agritech startups across Nigeria, highlighting their focus areas, achievements, and regional distribution.

North Central

Hello Tractor (Abuja)

Hello Tractor has become famous as the “Uber for Tractors” and was founded by Jehiel Oliver. The company makes tractors accessible to smallholder farmers through a digital sharing platform. 

With more than $3.6 million raised and partnerships with John Deere, according to reports. Hello Tractor has connected over a million farmers across 16 countries to mechanisation. 

• Founded: 2014
  
• Founders: Jehiel Oliver (CEO, ex-US presidential advisor on Africa business)
  
• Problem Solved: Lack of tractor access and mechanisation for smallholders.
  
• Scale/Reach: 1M+ farmers; operations in 16 countries.
  
• Funding/Achievements: $3.6M raised; $200M John Deere partnership for 10,000 tractors.
  
• Impact: Boosted yields; created 100K+ jobs; promoted gender diversity in tractor ownership.

Thrive Agric (Abuja)

Thrive Agric demonstrates how agritech can scale to hundreds of thousands of farmers while attracting international funding. Its model provides finance, inputs, and market access, all tied together with a data-driven advisory system. 

The startup has expanded into 22 Nigerian states as well as Ghana and Kenya. With backing from Y Combinator and Visa, Thrive Agric has become a flagship for how agritech can transform food security while proving attractive to global investors.

• Founded: 2016
  
• Founders: Uka Eje (CEO, award-winning entrepreneur), Ayodeji Arikawe (CTO)
  
• Problem Solved: Lack of finance, inputs, and market access.
  
• Scale/Reach: 820K+ farmers; 22 states; expansion to Ghana and Kenya.
  
• Funding/Achievements: $15M+ raised; $150M financing disbursed; 200K tons of grain and 4M poultry delivered.
  
• Impact: Farmers report 2–3x yield increases; 40% women and 33% youth participation.

Riwe (Abuja)

Insurance has long been absent from Nigerian smallholder agriculture, but Riwe is changing that. The startup provides affordable crop insurance to underserved communities by combining AI and satellite data. 

Early pilots suggest significant improvements in resilience for farmers facing climate shocks. Riwe is one of the few Nigerian agritechs addressing risk management directly, positioning Abuja as a hub not just for finance but also for agricultural insurance innovation.

• Founded: 2021
  
• Founders: Israel Chigozirim (insurtech innovator, MBC Global alumus)
  
• Problem Solved: Lack of affordable crop insurance for smallholders.
  
• Scale/Reach: Pilots in underserved farmer communities.
  
• Funding/Achievements: $2M seed round; developed satellite/AI-driven crop insurance.
  
• Impact: Improved farmers’ resilience in pilot areas.

Gwaza-soy (Jos)

Gwaza-soy is a women-led soybean processing and financing startup based in Jos. Its model combines processing facilities with financing support, specifically targeting women farmers. 

Though still early-stage, Gwaza-soy has demonstrated how agritech can empower women in rural communities, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve household incomes. Its focus makes it a unique contribution to the North Central ecosystem, which is otherwise dominated by fintech-driven ventures.

• Founded: 2021
  
• Founders: Women-led team (focused on female empowerment in soy value chains)
  
• Problem Solved: Limited finance and processing support for women soybean farmers.
  
• Scale/Reach: 100+ women farmers in Jos.
  
• Funding/Achievements: Grant-funded (USAID).
  
• Impact: Reduced post-harvest losses by 20%; increased rural women’s income.

North West

Babban Gona (Kaduna)

Babban Gona is one of the most established agritech ventures in Africa, founded in 2010 with a mission to organise and empower smallholder farmers. Its franchise model provides end-to-end services — training, inputs, credit, and markets — helping farmers achieve higher productivity while keeping loan default rates near zero. With more than $20 million raised and over 200,000 farmers reached, Babban Gona represents how scale can be achieved in Nigerian agriculture.

• Founded: 2010
  
• Founders: Kola Masha (agribusiness leader, ex-Notore Group executive)
  
• Problem Solved: Low productivity and weak aggregation for smallholders.
  
• Scale/Reach: 200K+ farmers; active in 15 states.
  
• Funding/Achievements: $20M+ raised (incl. $7.5M debt from BII in 2025); 99.9% loan repayment.
  
• Impact: Yields 2–3x national average; incomes +50%; strong climate resilience through drought-tolerant seeds.

Source

Digitized Agrospace (Kano)

Digitized Agrospace is among the new generation of agritech startups emerging in Northern Nigeria. Established in 2023, the company digitises rural production centres, offering e-commerce, farmer identity systems, and insurance. The startup is still at the pilot stage; however, it reflects the potential for fintech-driven agritech models to reach underserved rural hubs in Kano and beyond.

• Founded: 2023
  
• Founders: Agribusiness experts (team-led, limited public data).
  
• Problem Solved: Digitisation of rural production centres; e-commerce and insurance.
  
• Scale/Reach: Pilots in soybean and rice hubs.
  
• Impact: Digital identities for farmers; supporting 100+ rural centres.
  

South West

Releaf (Lagos)

Releaf focuses on one of Nigeria’s most important but inefficient value chains: palm oil. Relief combines hardware and software solutions that make palm nut processing more efficient, and in the process, reduces waste and improves oil quality for processors. 

The company has worked with more than 2,000 farmers and supplied factories with over 15 million kilograms of palm nuts. With $4.2M in venture backing, Releaf shows how Lagos-based agritechs can attract global investors while directly solving supply chain inefficiencies.

• Founded: 2017
  
• Founders: Ikenna Nzewi (CEO, Yale alumnus), Uzoma Ayogu (CTO, Duke alumnus)
  
• Problem Solved: Inefficient palm nut processing for farmers and factories.
  
• Scale/Reach: 2K+ farmers; 15M+ kg of palm nuts processed.
  
• Funding/Achievements: $4.2M raised; backed by Y Combinator and Samurai Incubate.
  
• Impact: Reduced costs for processors; improved oil purity and yields.

FarmCrowdy (Lagos)

FarmCrowdy pioneered the idea of crowdfunding in Nigerian agriculture, linking urban investors with rural farmers. Its platform has supported more than 25,000 farmers across 16 states by providing inputs and access to finance. Though the model has evolved, FarmCrowdy remains a landmark in Nigeria’s agritech story and paved the way for other finance-driven innovations.

• Founded: 2016
  
• Founders: Onyeka Akumah (serial entrepreneur, ex-Plentywaka founder)
  
• Problem Solved: Lack of financing for smallholder farmers.
  
• Scale/Reach: 25K+ farmers; active in 16 states.
  
• Funding/Achievements: $2M+ raised; acquired two firms; endorsed by national leaders.
  
• Impact: $5.8M sponsorships channelled; significant yield increases from improved inputs.

Vendease (Lagos)

Vendease has positioned itself as the backbone of food procurement in West Africa. They connect restaurants and food businesses directly with producers, reducing procurement delays and lowering costs. With $33M in funding and expansion into Ghana, Vendease is one of Nigeria’s most heavily funded agritechs, showing the scalability of supply chain innovation from Lagos.

• Founded: 2019
  
• Founders: Tunde Kara.
  
• Problem Solved: Food procurement and supply inefficiencies.
  
• Scale/Reach: 2K+ customers; 400K tons moved.
  
• Funding/Achievements: $33M raised (Y Combinator, TLcom).
  
• Impact: $2M procurement savings; $500K waste reduction; expanded into Ghana.

Afrimash (Ibadan)

Afrimash operates as an e-commerce marketplace for farm supplies, delivering everything from seeds to equipment nationwide. It has completed more than a million orders and is one of the few agritechs providing nationwide service. By launching USSD services, Afrimash ensures that even farmers without smartphones can access quality inputs.

• Founded: 2018
  
• Founders: Ayoade Oyedotun (founder, serial agri-entrepreneur)
  
• Problem Solved: Limited access to verified farm inputs.
  
• Scale/Reach: 1M+ orders nationwide.
  
• Funding/Achievements: $5M funding; supported by Oxfam/USAID grants.
  
• Impact: Expanded rural input delivery; improved access for 100K+ farmers.

South East

ColdHubs (Owerri)

ColdHubs tackles one of Nigeria’s costliest problems — post-harvest losses — with solar-powered cold rooms installed in rural markets. Since 2015, it has saved more than 50,000 tons of food and increased incomes for thousands of farmers. With support from international grant-makers, ColdHubs has scaled across 22 states, demonstrating the power of climate-smart infrastructure in agriculture.

• Founded: 2015
  
• Founders: Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu (Rolex Award winner)
  
• Problem Solved: High post-harvest losses due to lack of cold storage.
  
• Scale/Reach: 58 solar hubs in 22 states; 11K+ users.
  
• Funding/Achievements: $2M+ in grants (USAID, Swiss RE).
  
• Impact: 40% reduction in losses; $1M+ in additional farmer income.

Source

Agricorp (Enugu)

Agricorp is bridging local production with international markets through the processing of spices and poultry for export. With $17.5M in Series A funding, Agricorp has the scale to support 4M birds annually and 5K metric tons of ginger, positioning Enugu as a hub for agribusiness exports.

• Founded: 2019
  
• Founders: Kenneth Obiajulu (CEO, co-founder One Capital), Wale Omotimirin
  
• Problem Solved: Export gaps in spices and poultry.
  
• Scale/Reach: 5K MT ginger per year; 4M bird poultry capacity.
  
• Funding/Achievements: $17.5M Series A.
  
• Impact: Forex boost for Nigeria; revenue growth from exports.

South South

Verdant Agrochrome (Port Harcourt)

Verdant Agrochrome reflects the South-South’s potential in commodities. Established in 2019, it improves the processing and quality control of palm oil for export. Though still early-stage, its work creates rural jobs and strengthens Nigeria’s palm oil export position.

• Founded: 2019
  
• Founders: Team-led (limited public data; palm oil expertise)
  
• Problem Solved: Poor export quality in palm oil.
  
• Scale/Reach: Delta focus; emerging exporter.
  
• Funding/Achievements: Grant-funded.
  
• Impact: Improved export quality; created rural jobs.

Conclusion

By mapping the Nigerian agritech ecosystem, it’s clear that technology is no longer optional for Nigerian agriculture. Agritech has become a catalyst for productivity, resilience, and global competitiveness — and its continued growth will shape the country’s ability to feed its people and export to the world.