SC Ventures Launch Online Marketplace for Kenyan Farmers

A B2B agritech marketplace has been developed by SC Ventures, the fintech, investment, and innovations arm of Standard Chartered Bank, to support e-commerce transactions by smallholder farmers in Kenya.

The market, dubbed Tawi, pledges to provide farmers with a steady and viable market, as well as transparent pricing and effective supply chain management.

“Tawi will connect our farmers to an estimated Sh200 billion market opportunity. Through this platform, farmers will earn more for their produce while also improving the supply-chain efficiency of high-quality produce to commercial clients,” said Cherotich Rutto, founder and CEO of Tawi.

“We are doing this by aggregating demand and simplifying the process for selling and buying fresh produce at a commercial scale.”

Tawi aims to help farmers in raising crop quality and yield while also assisting in the sustainability of the food and agricultural value chain.

Fresh produce will be sourced through the platform directly from farmers.

In order to solve some of the issues facing smallholder farmers, such as the absence of functional markets that led to post-harvest losses, SC Ventures began incubating Tawi in 2022.

Tawi is also targeting issues like subpar food, supply systems that are disjointed because of bad infrastructure, and an excessive number of middlemen.

Over 1,000 farmers, 250 commercial restaurants, and more than 1000 deliveries have been completed since Tawi began testing the platform in February.

The agritech platform is starting by selling commercial kitchens, which represent a constant and predictable market opportunity worth about Sh28 billion.

“We are delighted for the launch of Tawi, a fintech that understands agriculture is more than just a business—it’s a way of life, rooted in community, hard work, and dedication,” said Jiten Arora, Member, SC Ventures.

“Like SC Ventures, Tawi believes in the power of partnerships to drive success and growth for partners and business.”

Tawi’s marketplace and business model are being developed in stages.

Tawi intends to integrate financial services in the future, such as micro-loans and insurance, as well as value-added services like providing agronomic support for best farming practices.