Co-founder of Netflix, Reed Hastings, and former Alphabet CEO, Eric Schmidt, have joined a funding drive for SunCulture, a Kenyan solar irrigation startup.
SunCulture, based in Nairobi, secured $27 million in investments, including contributions from Hastings and Schmidt’s foundations, InfraCo Africa, and Acumen Fund.
The startup supplies solar-powered water pumps to small-scale farmers, helping them replace diesel pumps, and thereby enhancing crop yields.
Operating in Kenya, Uganda, and Ivory Coast, SunCulture aims to address the limited irrigation access faced by 700 million African small-holder farmers.
Hastings emphasized the importance of businesses like SunCulture, which aid farmers in increasing food production.
SunCulture has sold 47,000 units, offering affordable solar irrigation solutions, significantly cheaper than traditional diesel pumps.
With Series B funding totaling $65 million, SunCulture aims to install 274,000 systems in Kenya, part of its larger goal to raise $219 million.
Samir Ibrahim, CEO of SunCulture, highlighted plans for continental expansion and diversification into other farming services.
Earlier investors include EDF International SAS, DPI Energy Ventures, Equator Africa Fund, and Energy Access Ventures Fund.
