Kenyan startup receives funding to provide Africa with environmental data

Nairobi-based Amini, a climate tech startup, has received $2 million in funding from Swedish venture capital firm Pale Blue Dot, among other partners, such as Superorganism, RaliCap, W3i, Emurgo Kepple Ventures, in a pre-seed round.

With the vision of solving environmental data scarcity, Amini is creating a comprehensive solution that leverages AI and satellite technologies at scale to achieve systemic change. In addition, their goal is to promote economic inclusion for farmers and supply chain resilience throughout Africa and beyond.

The six-month-old startup currently offers farmers detailed information about the entire crop cycle, including planting, harvesting, water usage, and fertilizer application. On top of that, the platform enables organisations to gain insights into the continent-wide effects of natural disasters, such as floods and droughts.

CEO and founder of Amini, Kate Kallot, highlighted the issue of climate data in Africa, saying ‘it’s either nonexistent or difficult to access. And with climate change projected to hit Africa the most, there’s a lack of data for farmers, for instance, to understand what’s happening.’

In keeping with the Kenya Vision 2030 development goals and objectives for wealth and job creation, as well as the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy, digital innovation and entrepreneurship pillar, Amini serves as a good example of future sustainable projects on the continent.