Synnefa Secures USD 300 K Grant To Deploy IoT Solar Dryers Across Kenya

Kenyan agri-tech startup Synnefa has secured USD 300 K in grant funding from the World Resources Institute’s Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) to deploy IoT-enabled solar dryers across Kenya.

The funding, awarded through a Synnefa–Solidaridad partnership, aims to help over 800 smallholder farmers in Makueni County cut post-harvest losses by 45%, reduce drying times from weeks to just 2–3 days, and boost productivity across crops like coffee, fruits, grains, and vegetables.

Founded in 2014 by Taita Ngetich, Synnefa builds smart farming tools—Smart Greenhouses, FarmShield IoT, FarmCloud, and Smart Solar Dryers—to combat food waste and improve water efficiency. The startup claims to have reached over 7,000 farmers and plans to raise USD 2 M in seed funding by 2026 to scale to 150,000 farmers across East Africa.

The firm projects its expansion could prevent over 50,000 metric tons of food loss, create youth jobs, and cut CO₂ emissions from wasted harvests.