Kenya-based SunCulture, a climate technology startup focusing on solar irrigation solutions in sub-Saharan Africa, has secured $12 million to bolster its operations. This investment, led by InfraCo Africa, a subsidiary of PIDG, in collaboration with Savant Group Ltd., aims to provide internet of things-enabled solar-powered irrigation to hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers by 2030. Other contributors to the Series B round include Acumen Funds and others. This funding, part of SunCulture's broader Series B effort amounting to $27.5 million, brings its total investment to $65 million. The company aims to install two hundred seventy-four thousand solar irrigation systems throughout Kenya. SunCulture's innovative approach replaces environmentally harmful fuel-based pumps with solar-powered alternatives, offering farmers a sustainable solution while reducing costs.
SunCulture's focus on enhancing production capacity for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa addresses the challenge of heavy reliance on rainfed agriculture or carbon-emitting pumps. By providing solar-powered water pumps at subsidized costs, the company aims to mitigate environmental impact and increase efficiency. With operations spanning Kenya, Uganda, and Ivory Coast, and distribution agreements in Ethiopia, Zambia, and Togo, SunCulture operates on a Pay-As-You-Grow model. This initiative is crucial in a region where only a small fraction of small-scale farmers have access to irrigation, severely limiting productivity.