Tulaa

Tulaa, established in 2016 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, operates as a mobile-first, online-to-offline marketplace tailored for smallholder farmers in Africa. The company was founded by Hillary Miller-Wise, who drew upon nearly two decades of experience at the intersection of agriculture, financial services, and technology to shape Tulaa's mission. Her journey includes serving as CEO of Esoko, a pioneer in mobile agriculture services, from which Tulaa was incubated and eventually spun out of in July 2017. Miller-Wise holds an MBA from INSEAD and a Master's in Economics from Johns Hopkins University, providing a robust academic foundation for her work in financial inclusion.

The core of Tulaa's business is a digital platform that addresses critical gaps in the agricultural value chain for farmers with approximately 2-2.5 acres of land. It facilitates access to essential farm inputs, credit, personalized agronomic advice, and links to buyers for their produce at harvest time. The service is accessible via mobile technology, including USSD-based payments, which circumvents the need for internet access and promotes financial inclusion among rural populations. Tulaa's revenue model is multifaceted, generating income through the sale of inputs on credit and by providing brokerage services for the sale of commodities. The platform creates a symbiotic ecosystem, enabling input suppliers to aggregate demand and increase sales, financial institutions to de-risk lending to farmers through better data, and commodity buyers to source quality produce efficiently.

By creating a comprehensive, end-to-end solution, Tulaa empowers farmers who have historically been excluded from formal financial systems. An independent analysis revealed that approximately 71% of Tulaa's farmer clients had never accessed input financing before joining the platform. The company has secured approximately $652K in funding over three rounds from investors such as AHL Venture Partners, Beyond Capital Fund, and Village Capital. These funds are being utilized to expand its network of agro-vet retailers and traders within Kenya and to further develop its technology, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence applications.

Keywords: agricultural finance, mobile marketplace, smallholder farmers, agritech, fintech, Kenya, farm inputs, market linkage, financial inclusion, commodity brokerage, agricultural credit, rural development, supply chain technology, USSD payments, agronomic advice, impact investing, food security, mobile commerce, Africa agriculture, farmer empowerment, crop financing