Tanzanian agritech startup MazaoHub has raised an oversubscribed $2M pre-seed round to scale its hybrid model of AI-powered soil intelligence and in-person farmer support centres.
The investment combines $1.5M in equity led by Catalyst Fund, with participation from Nordic Impact Fund, Mercy Corps Ventures, elea Foundation, Impacc, and DOB Equity. An additional $500k in non-dilutive capital came from the Livelihood Impact Fund, signalling a strong investor appetite for blended finance models that tackle climate adaptation.
MazaoHub aims to solve a dual problem for Africa’s smallholder farmers: the lack of data to make informed decisions and the absence of trusted support to implement climate-smart practices. The company is betting that the solution isn’t just more tech, but the right blend of digital tools and human expertise.
The ‘Tech and Touch’ Model
MazaoHub operates a hybrid model it calls “Tech and Touch.” It combines proprietary low-cost soil sensors, portable soil testing kits, and an AI-powered, offline-first farm management platform. This provides farmers with crop dashboards and cost analysis tools, even in areas with poor connectivity.
The “touch” component comes from its network of Farmer Excellence Centers — which the company describes as “agricultural clinics.” These are upgraded rural agribusinesses staffed by professional agronomists who use the platform’s data to provide tailored, in-person advice to farmers.
The model is designed to create a virtuous cycle:
- Data-driven farming: Farmers receive precise recommendations on fertiliser use, irrigation, and organic manure. MazaoHub claims this can reduce fertiliser use by up to 30% and increase organic manure adoption fivefold.
- Market access: At the end of the season, the startup connects farmers to buyers through its sourcing platform, CropSupply.com, which provides full traceability from soil data to shipment — a holy grail for corporate buyers concerned with supply chain transparency.
“Farmers become data-driven decision-makers, buyers gain trusted traceability, and agribusinesses operate as climate-smart franchises,” says Geophrey Tenganamba, CEO and Co-Founder of MazaoHub. “This is where sustainability meets scale.”
Why Investors Are Digging In
For investors, MazaoHub’s approach represents a practical way for African agriculture to leapfrog directly into a data-driven, sustainable future.
“MazaoHub is showing that African agriculture can blend data insights with local agronomists to enable sustainable farming at scale,” says Maelis Carraro, Founder and Managing Partner at Catalyst Fund.
The climate angle is a major draw. By optimising inputs, the model reduces emissions, saves water, and builds soil health, making farms more resilient to climate shocks.
“Our investment is driven by its profound climate impact. MazaoHub is cutting emissions, building resilience, and ensuring millions of smallholders are included in the digital transition,” adds Lisbeth Stausholm Zacho, Managing Director at Nordic Impact Funds.
The involvement of local financial institutions like CRDB Bank Foundation is also a key differentiator. The bank plans to embed financial products into MazaoHub’s ecosystem, using the platform’s data to de-risk loans for smallholders.
“By linking financial products to MazaoHub’s soil intelligence and sourcing systems, we can ensure that the benefits farmers achieve with data actually reduce lending risks and drive systemic change,” explains Tullyesther Mwambapa, Managing Director of CRDB Foundation.
What’s Next?
The fresh capital will be used to accelerate the production of MazaoHub’s low-cost soil kits and sensors, expand its network of Farmer Excellence Centers across Tanzania, and scale the rollout of its CropSupply.com sourcing platform.
With food systems across the continent under increasing pressure, MazaoHub’s bet is that the future of farming is neither purely digital nor purely traditional, but a smart combination of both.