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§ Private Profile · Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
Twiga Foods is a technology company.
Twiga Foods operates a B2B e-commerce platform connecting agricultural producers with informal retailers in Africa. The company employs a technology-driven logistics network to streamline the fresh produce supply chain, enhancing efficiency and minimizing post-harvest losses. This model optimizes distribution from farm to market.
Grant Brooke and Peter Njonjo established Twiga Foods in Kenya in 2014. Their initial foray into banana exports revealed significant inefficiencies in the local food system, characterized by fragmented retail and absent traceability. This discovery prompted the founders, including former Coca-Cola executive Njonjo, to address domestic supply chain challenges.
Twiga Foods serves small-scale farmers needing stable market access and fair prices, alongside informal vendors seeking consistent, quality produce. The company aims to transform Africa's food ecosystem by building transparent, sustainable, and efficient supply chains. This approach modernizes food distribution across the continent.
Twiga Foods has raised $181.0M across 9 funding rounds.
Twiga Foods has raised $181.0M in total across 9 funding rounds.
Twiga Foods has raised $181.0M in total across 9 funding rounds.
Twiga Foods's investors include Juven, TIDE Africa Fund, TLcom Capital, DOB Equity, Endeavor Catalyst, International Finance Corporation, OP Finnfund, Jules D. Frebault, 1776, AAF Management Ltd., Adolph H Lundin, Alpha Mundi.
Twiga Foods has raised $181.0M across 9 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $35.0M Other Equity in December 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 2023 | $35M Venture Round | Juven | — | Announced |
| May 20, 2022 | $10M Venture Round | — | — | Announced |
| Oct 1, 2021 | $50M Series C | — | Tide Africa Fund, TLcom Capital, DOB Equity, Endeavor Catalyst, International Finance Corporation, Juven, OP Finnfund | Announced |
| Oct 28, 2019 | $30M Debt Financing | Jules D. Frebault | TLcom Capital | Announced |
| Oct 1, 2019 | $24M Series B | — | 1776, AAF Management Ltd., Tide Africa Fund, TLcom Capital | Announced |
| Jun 13, 2019 | $5M Venture Round | — | — | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2018 | $10M Series B | Tide Africa Fund | AAF Management Ltd., TLcom Capital, Adolph H Lundin, 1776, Alpha Mundi, DOB Equity, Wamda Capital | Announced |
| Jul 1, 2018 | $7M Series B | — | Tide Africa Fund, TLcom Capital | Announced |
| Jul 1, 2017 | $10M Series A | Fadi Ghandour | 1776, AAF Management Ltd., Blue Haven Initiative, DOB Equity, Omidyar Network, Uqalo | Announced |
Twiga Foods is a Kenyan agritech company founded in 2014 that operates a mobile-based B2B platform connecting small-scale farmers directly to urban vendors, primarily supplying fresh fruits, vegetables, and staples like bananas.[1][2][3] It serves micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including over 140,000 small retailers (25% of Kenya's market), 65% of whom are women and 45% youth aged 25-34, solving inefficiencies in fragmented supply chains by reducing post-harvest losses (under 5% vs. 30% in informal markets), offering farmers 20-40% higher prices with payments in 48 hours via mobile money, and providing vendors reliable 24-hour deliveries at lower costs.[1][5] The platform aggregates demand and supply, sources from over 17,000 farmers via 25 collection centers and a fleet of vehicles, and has grown to become Kenya's largest banana seller, distributing 245+ tonnes weekly to 3,500+ vendors as of 2018, with ongoing expansion into services like insurance and packaged foods.[2][4][5]
Twiga Foods was co-founded in 2014 in Kenya by Grant Brooke and Peter Njonjo, who identified challenges for small-scale farmers in accessing reliable markets and fair prices amid high food waste and inefficient broker networks.[3][4] Njonjo, now CEO, previously led the company through growth phases, starting with a focus on bananas before expanding to diverse produce.[3][4] The idea emerged from Kenya's agriculture sector—contributing over 25% to GDP and employing 75% of the population—plagued by fragmentation, post-harvest losses up to 30%, and unreliable supply for Nairobi vendors.[2][7] Early traction came via a cashless mobile app enabling demand-matching, direct farm sourcing, and logistics, quickly scaling to thousands of farmers and vendors while attracting support from programs like GSMA's Ecosystem Accelerator and backing from AfDB/EIB's Boost Africa.[2][6]
Twiga rides the agritech wave in Africa, where B2B food distribution is nascent but rapidly growing amid urbanization, rising consumer food spend (45% of income), and government goals to cut post-harvest losses from 20% to 15%.[6][7] Timing aligns with mobile penetration enabling cashless platforms in Kenya's $X billion informal retail sector, reducing broker inefficiencies that inflate prices and waste 1.9 million tons annually.[2][7] Market forces like increasing demand for fresh produce in Nairobi and sustainable agriculture SDGs favor Twiga, which influences the ecosystem by formalizing supply chains, supporting 140,000+ MSMEs, and inspiring peers like Esoko while partnering with CGIAR, GSMA, IFC, and DFC for scaling.[1][5][8]
Twiga is poised for pan-African expansion, building on its supply chain dominance to integrate fintech, insurance, and packaged goods amid maturing B2B distribution trends.[3][4] Rising e-commerce, climate-resilient farming needs, and investor interest in impact agritech will shape its path, potentially evolving influence through vendor financing and regional hubs to further cut waste and boost smallholder incomes. This positions Twiga as a foundational player revolutionizing Africa's fragmented food systems, directly tackling the inefficiencies that hinder farmers and vendors at its core.[1][3]