Tanzanian Agritech Startup MazaoHub Nets $2M to Expand AI-Powered Farming Across Africa

Tanzanian agritech innovator MazaoHub has secured a robust $2 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round, fueling its mission to revolutionize smallholder farming with a blend of AI-driven tools and hands-on support, poised to transform agriculture across the continent.

The investment, comprising $1.5 million in equity led by Catalyst Fund alongside Nordic Impact Fund, Mercy Corps Ventures, elea Foundation, Impacc, and DOB Equity, plus $500,000 in non-dilutive capital from the Livelihood Impact Fund, underscores strong investor confidence in MazaoHub’s “Tech and Touch” model. Founded in 2023 by CEO Geophrey Tenganamba, the startup tackles two pressing challenges for Africa’s smallholder farmers: scarce agronomic data and limited last-mile advisory services.

MazaoHub’s hybrid approach pairs low-cost soil sensors and portable testing kits with an offline-first farm management platform, delivering real-time analytics on soil nutrients, pH, moisture, and more. These feed into intuitive crop dashboards and cost analysis tools, empowering farmers to optimize fertilizer use—cutting consumption by up to 30%—and boost organic manure adoption fivefold. Its Farmer Excellence Centers, staffed by agronomists, act as rural “agricultural clinics,” offering in-person guidance to bridge the digital divide in low-connectivity areas.

The startup’s CropSupply.com platform further seals the deal, linking farmers to buyers with full traceability from soil to shipment, a critical edge for corporate clients prioritizing supply chain transparency. “Farmers become data-driven decision-makers, buyers gain trusted traceability, and agribusinesses operate as climate-smart franchises,” Tenganamba said, highlighting the model’s potential to scale sustainability.

With Tanzania losing $1.5 billion annually to agricultural inefficiencies and facing 17% higher emissions from poor farming practices, MazaoHub’s solutions are timely. The funding will scale production of soil kits, expand Farmer Excellence Centers across 12 more Tanzanian regions and four counties in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia, and enhance CropSupply.com. A partnership with CRDB Bank Foundation will integrate loan products, using platform data to de-risk lending and unlock capital for farmers.

“MazaoHub is proving African agriculture can leap into a sustainable, data-driven future,” said Maelis Carraro of Catalyst Fund. As the startup eyes 50 million smallholders across East Africa, its blend of tech and human support could redefine farming, boosting yields, curbing emissions, and driving economic growth in rural communities.