Kenya’s Synnefa gets US$300,000 grant to help farmers cut post-harvest losses

KENYA – Kenyan agri-tech company Synnefa has received a US$300,000 grant from the World Resources Institute’s Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) initiative, in partnership with Solidaridad.

The funding will help the firm install Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled solar dryers for smallholder farmers, starting with Makueni County.

The project aims to reach more than 800 farmers and reduce post-harvest losses by up to 45 percent. It will also shorten crop drying times from several weeks to just two or three days while improving the quality and shelf life of produce such as coffee, grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Synnefa founder Stanley Kirui said the company designed its solar dryers to make post-harvest handling easier and more efficient for small-scale producers. “Farmers often lose a large share of their harvests because of poor drying methods. Our technology gives them a faster and cleaner way to dry crops while protecting them from contamination and spoilage,” Kirui explained.

Founded in 2019, Synnefa develops practical technologies that help farmers manage resources and reduce food waste. Its products include Smart Greenhouses, the FarmShield IoT system, FarmCloud, and Smart Solar Dryers. The company has already reached more than 7,000 farmers across Kenya.

Kirui said Synnefa plans to raise US$2 million in seed funding by 2026 to scale its services to 150,000 farmers across East Africa. “We see strong demand from farmers who want affordable and reliable solutions. Our next phase will expand access to more counties and strengthen our data systems to serve them better,” he added.

Reducing waste and creating jobs

By linking technology with sustainable agriculture, Synnefa’s model helps reduce both economic and environmental losses. The company’s expansion strategy is expected to prevent more than 50,000 metric tons of food loss each year, create new jobs for young people, and cut carbon emissions tied to wasted produce.

Industry observers say the initiative highlights Kenya’s growing role in climate-smart agriculture. “This kind of innovation is exactly what smallholder farmers need to stay competitive while adapting to climate change,” said a representative from Solidaridad.

The development follows similar funding news across the continent. Recently, Ghana’s Complete Farmer secured US$5 million from Symbiotics to grow smallholder agriculture. Both moves show how African startups continue to attract investment aimed at improving food systems and farmer livelihoods.

By combining digital tools with renewable energy, Synnefa hopes to help farmers get more value from every harvest, showing how local innovation can make farming both profitable and sustainable.

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