Amini Corp., a Kenyan company focused on addressing Africa's environmental data gap using AI and satellite technology, has raised $2 million in pre-seed funding. The funding round was oversubscribed and led by Pale Blue Dot, a prominent European climate tech fund. Other investors include Superorganism, RaliCap, W3i, Emurgo Kepple Ventures, and a network of angel investors from the global technology community.
Africa possesses 65% of the world's uncultivated fertile land and 30% of its mineral resources but contributes only 3% to the global GDP. The lack of reliable and trustworthy data has hindered Africa's development, impacting business decisions, capital allocation, and the measurement of climate change's impact.
Pale Blue Dot's general partner, Heidi Lindvall, expressed concern about the scarcity of high-quality environmental data in Africa. Lindvall believes Amini is best positioned to fill this data gap and enable the development of crucial climate solutions, such as improving farmer insurance, monitoring climate risk, and enhancing supply chains.
Within six months of operation, Amini has developed a robust data aggregation and analytics platform capable of collecting and processing various types of data, including satellite and weather data, down to a square meter. The platform provides valuable environmental data analytics, such as drought, flood, soil, and crop health information. This data can be used to forecast crop yields for millions of smallholder farmers and measure the impact of natural disasters in the region.
Amini's initial customers are in the agricultural insurance sector, utilizing the platform's granular and actionable data to enhance farmers' resilience through parametric agricultural insurance coverage. The company is also expanding rapidly into supply chain monitoring, particularly at the "last mile" stage of the global supply chain. This expansion is crucial for multinational companies seeking accurate measurements of their carbon footprint and the ability to report on their environmental impact in compliance with upcoming global regulations.
The Amini team has a strong track record of using deep technologies to tackle Africa's specific challenges. Founder and CEO Kate Kallot has extensive leadership experience in AI and machine learning at prominent technology companies. The executive team, including Mwenda Mugendi, Muthoni Karubiu, and Eshani Kaushal, brings expertise in machine learning, data science, geospatial analysis, and fintech from organizations like Microsoft, NASA, and MTN. The team is dedicated to making a positive impact in Africa and beyond.
Kate Kallot, CEO and founder of Amini, envisions building a comprehensive source of environmental data for Africa. She believes that data has the potential to transform livelihoods by fostering climate resilience and sustainable value chains. Amini's early customer success and interest from global enterprises, governments, and international organizations indicate that the company is on the right path to achieving its goals and driving significant transformation and development in Africa over the next decade.
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