"The earth never lies. You will hear this kind of statement very often. Especially if you live in an African country. It can come in many forms, but the content of the message remains the same: agriculture is the key. In Africa, anyone who has a piece of land is considered rich... or at least, someone who is not in danger of starving. Agriculture is therefore an important part of the economy in these countries. But despite some state subsidies, many farmers are struggling to keep their heads above water. Speaking of water, many farmers face enormous difficulties in properly irrigating their fields. And the larger the field, the more difficult the task. We are in Kenya. The irrigation problem is in full swing and needs to be addressed. But how? SunCulture was created to answer this very question.
Irrigate efficiently, with the means at hand...
Energy is the first issue to be resolved. And for the promoters of SunCultureIt is obvious that the sun is a huge source of energy, free and available, and it would be a shame not to take full advantage of it. They have therefore developed a solar pumping irrigation system.
This solar pumping solution involves capturing water from solar pumps and guiding it to a higher altitude, where it can be used to irrigate crops.
Solar pump: a sustainable solution for farmers in Kenya
Such a pumping system is not only a real innovation, but also a sustainable solution for all farmers. By operating mainly on solar energy, it allows farmers to :
- reduce the climate imbalance,
- reduce high production costs,
- increase profits,
- become independent.
SunCulture: a boon for farmers
Thousands of farmers have already experimented with solar pumps supplied by SunCulture and their feedback is quite satisfactory. One of them, based in Kenya, says that it has become easier for him to increase his production since he started using the start-up's solar pump. It takes less time to irrigate his fields than when he does it manually. In addition, it takes less effort than before. This allows him to be more productive.
What makes SunCulture special
To stand out from the crowd, SunCulture did not just offer better performing pumps at low prices. It has developed a range of solar powered equipment: solar panels with TVs, power systems, lamps and batteries to make farmers' work easier in the long term.
The start-up wants to build a world where people take control of their environment in a rewarding and sustainable way. To achieve this, it is on a mission to develop and commercialise life-changing technologies that solve the biggest day-to-day challenges of the world's 570 million smallholder farmers.
Solar energy is revolutionising agriculture! It is a green and above all free source of energy.
A cost-effective payment model
SunCulture's management realised early on that most farmers were not able to ensure full and effective payment for the irrigation systems provided to them. To this end, they introduced a payment model that benefited farmers. This is the <>, which allows farmers to acquire the systems provided to them on credit and make payment in instalments according to their income.
What are the benefits for farmers?
SunCulture promises its users:
- reduced fuel consumption and electricity bills.
- the possibility of storing solar energy for later use.
- increasing yields by 5 to 10 times the base yield
- the use of solar energy for domestic purposes
- reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
93 % of the various SunCulture customers reported an improvement in their quality of life due to the pump system. In particular, they report access to an adequate and constant supply of water, access to lighting and television, as well as the reduction of health problems.
14 million expansion
Yes, 14 million dollars! That's the funding SunCulture received from a consortium of investors such as Energy Access Ventures, Acumen Capital Partners and Dream Project Incubators, to carry out its development.
With this capital, SunCulture has :
- popularise irrigation systems among small-scale producers
- reduce carbon emissions by 20,000 tonnes per year
- facilitate the distribution of pumps to farmers
- increase the output of irrigation systems
This funding thus sets the tone for rapid and effective expansion into other African countries.
And behind SunCulture, a duo of strong men!
Samir Ibrahim and Charles Nichols have succeeded together in a grand vision: to provide farmers with an innovative irrigation solution that changes their lives completely.
Samir Ibrahim is the CEO and co-founder of SunCulture. He is one of Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 and is considered one of Conscious Company Media's top conscious business leaders. Samir is also on the organising committee of Shikilia, a coalition of public and private sector organisations providing emergency cash transfers to low-income Kenyan communities.
Charles Nichols is an entrepreneur focused on developing the decentralised economy and reducing ecological impact. He is the other co-founder of SunCulture.
Ibrahim co-founded SunCulture with Charles, which sells solar-powered drip irrigation systems to farmers in Kenya. The result: clean electricity, 300 % higher crop yields and 80 % less water. SunCulture estimates that its technology saves 2 billion litres of water per year.
SunCulture has recently expanded to other African countries, including Ethiopia, Uganda and Togo. And the startup plans to go public one day.
