In a news report released by TechCrunch, Amini, a Kenya-based climate-tech startup bridging the environmental data gap in Africa, has secured USD 4 million in a seed funding round led by Salesforce Ventures and the Female Founders Fund. In addition, climate-tech venture Satgana also participated in the funding round alongside other investors such as Pale Blue Dot and Superorganism, who previously backed the startup in its USD 2 million pre-seed round earlier this year.

Amini primarily collects satellite data and integrates it with various datasets, including sensor data, research findings, and ground truthing. This integrated information serves several purposes, such as providing insights into biodiversity, soil and crop health, and monitoring farming practices like regenerative agriculture, including water and fertiliser usage. The startup’s platform facilitates the development of real-time monitoring tools and machine learning models to generate insights across various activities, such as flood detection.

“What we are building is going to make brands more accountable and to do what is right for the people, environment and planet. It will also help them measure progress against what they say they are doing or will do, but also in a way that shows the world that they are truly sustainable brands and can prove it because they have the data to do so.” Kate Kallot, Amini founder and CEO, commented.

Amini’s first clients are enterprises operating within the agricultural and insurance sectors. The Kenyan climate data startup is also targeting food and beverage companies and consumer packaged goods producers committed to sustainably reshaping their supply chains. The startup is intensifying its efforts to assist multinational corporations in transitioning their supply chains toward regenerative practices. This strategic direction aligns with the emergence of new regulations in the United States of America and Europe, mandating corporations to disclose climate risks within their supply chains.

Furthermore, Kallot emphasised that Amini’s leading role in improving transparency, facilitating data access, and promoting greater economic inclusion for farmers presents a unique opportunity that can effectively reshape global food systems.“We want to empower our people. We want to help all these farmers to move from surviving to thriving. Our thesis is that you can only do that if you have access to data because if you have access to data, there is transparency, and if you have transparency, then you have trust. And when you have trust, people invest more,” she stated. “This is exactly the reason why we are doing this. We are trying to empower people and flip the narrative regarding Africa. But also recalibrate a little bit of the value chain because if you look at the cocoa value chain, for example, people making the most money will probably be the ones who are selling the finished product. The people making the least money are the ones producing the commodities. How can you rebalance and innovate that chain and bring the value down into the hands of the farmers and the people on the continent?” 

However, Kallot emphasised that Amini’s principal ambition is to function as a pure platform play, focusing on ensuring robust environmental data availability for Africa and equipping thousands of developers and individuals with tools to foster the creation of localised solutions.

“We are thrilled to support Amini, a trailblazing company at the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation and climate technology. Amini.ai’s cutting-edge technology is poised to redefine industries and drive transformative change. With a visionary team and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of climate AI, we are confident that it is poised for exceptional growth.” Claudine Emeott, the Vice-President of Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund, stated.