Kenya’s Synnefa Secures $300,000 Grant to Boost Farmers’ Yields with Smart Solar Dryers

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Kenyan agri-tech startup Synnefa has received a $300,000 grant from the World Resources Institute’s Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) initiative, in collaboration with Solidaridad. The funding will help the company deploy Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled solar dryers to smallholder farmers across Kenya, starting in Makueni County.

The project aims to support more than 800 farmers by cutting post-harvest losses by up to 45 percent, reducing drying times from several weeks to just two or three days, and improving crop quality and productivity for commodities such as coffee, grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Founded in 2019 by Stanley Kirui, Synnefa develops smart farming technologies designed to reduce food waste and optimise water use. Its portfolio includes Smart Greenhouses, the FarmShield IoT system, FarmCloud, and Smart Solar Dryers. The startup has already reached over 7,000 farmers and plans to raise $2 million in seed funding by 2026 to expand its services to 150,000 farmers across East Africa.

The company’s growth strategy is expected to prevent more than 50,000 metric tons of food loss annually while creating new jobs for young people and reducing carbon emissions linked to wasted agricultural produce.

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By linking sustainable technology with smallholder livelihoods, Synnefa’s initiative marks another step forward for Kenya’s agri-tech ecosystem, reinforcing the country’s position as a regional leader in climate-smart farming solutions.