What Nuru International does

Nuru International is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit social venture founded in 2007 by Jake Harriman (a former US Marine Force Recon officer and Stanford GSB graduate). Its core product is the "Nuru Model," a 5-7 year intervention that builds farmer-owned and farmer-led cooperative agribusinesses in marginalized, climate-impacted, and conflict-affected rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Nuru delivers climate-smart regenerative agriculture training, market linkages between cooperatives and private-sector buyers, mobile money/financial inclusion services (notably via Burkina Faso), and weather information (via a partnership with ignitia), all organized around a five-stage methodology (Identify, Recruit, Support, Enable, Scale). A proprietary Social Return on Investment framework tracks outcomes across five dimensions: capacity, health, security, community, and women's inclusion, with impact validated through a five-year randomized control trial in Nigeria conducted by the Ray Marshall Center at the University of Texas.

The organization's business model is charitable donation and grant funding, not commercial revenue: 73% of funds are directed to direct program services, with revenue sourced from major institutional grants (e.g., a $7.5M Helmsley Charitable Trust grant in 2024, $2.25M in 2023), bilateral/multilateral agencies (USAID, GIZ, BMZ, IFAD, IFC), foundations (Whole Foods Market Foundation, Trafigura Foundation, Livelihood Impact Fund, Viridian), corporate partnerships, and individual donor giving (including stock, crypto, and planned giving). Nuru International (the US parent) serves as the initial launch partner and ongoing strategic thought partner to locally-registered, locally-led Nuru organizations in each country, which together form the "Nuru Collective" spanning seven countries: Kenya (2008), Ethiopia (2012), Nigeria (2018), Burkina Faso (2022), Ghana (2024), Niger (2024), and Benin. Specialized affiliates include Nuru Social Enterprises (a Kenya-based dairy/yogurt processing operation with solar-powered cold chain) and the Nuru Regional Training College (a TVET institution in Migori County, Kenya).

Since 2007, Nuru has reached 456,000+ people across 413 supported agribusinesses, with documented farmer outcomes including 250% crop yield increases (Kenya), 162-229% income increases (Ethiopia and Kenya), and 75% income growth during 2021. The organization holds top-tier nonprofit credentials — Platinum Seal of Transparency (Candid/GuideStar), Four-Star Charity Navigator rating, BBB accreditation, and multiple best-workplace recognitions. Technology components are largely third-party-integrated (ignitia weather forecasting, SCOPEinsight cooperative assessment, digital financial inclusion tools) rather than proprietary AI systems, and Nuru does not generate commercial revenue from its programs.

Name

Nuru International

Legal name

Nuru International

Website

https://nuruinternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nuru International is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds farmer-owned cooperative agribusinesses over 5-7 year cycles to lift rural smallholder farmers in fragile, climate-impacted African communities out of extreme poverty. It operates in seven countries through locally-led member organizations under the Nuru Collective, reaching 456,000+ people across 413 agribusinesses via grant-funded programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development and Poverty Alleviation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry (115), Farm Management Services (115116)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH), Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems & Land Management (BPADALAG)

Keywords

• Poverty alleviation services
• Agricultural development programs
• Rural community development
• Cooperative agribusiness support
• Climate-smart agriculture training

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Nuru operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID: 26-1250716) funded primarily through donations and grants from foundations, corporations, bilateral/multilateral organizations, and individual donors. Revenue comes from major grants (e.g., $7.5M Helmsley Charitable Trust grant), individual donations, corporate partnerships, planned giving, stock donations, and cryptocurrency donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nuru International operates a global collective of locally-led nonprofit organizations that deliver a 5-7 year farmer cooperative agribusiness model to lift smallholder farmers and pastoralists out of extreme poverty in climate-impacted, conflict-affected communities across sub-Saharan Africa. Core program components include climate-smart regenerative agriculture training, market linkages with private-sector buyers, mobile money/financial inclusion tools, weather information services, and cooperative professionalization support. Nuru has reached over 456,000 people across 413 farmer-owned agribusinesses in Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, and Benin.

Product overview

Nuru International operates as a global collective of locally-led organizations working to break cycles of unjust poverty in rural, climate-impacted communities across Africa. Their core product is the Nuru Model—a market-based, locally-led approach to poverty alleviation that creates farmer-owned and farmer-led cooperative agribusinesses. The model operates through five stages: Identify Communities, Recruit Local Leaders, Support Agribusiness Development, Enable Farmers to Benefit from Entrepreneurship, and Scale in New Communities. The portfolio includes: the core Farmer Cooperative Agribusiness Model with integrated Climate-Smart Regenerative Agriculture Training and Market Linkages Services; Nuru Kenya's specialized Nuru Regional Training College (NRTC) for vocational education and Nuru Social Enterprises for dairy/yogurt processing; mobile money and financial inclusion services; and weather information services delivered through partnerships. Nuru operates in seven countries (Kenya since 2008, Ethiopia since 2012, Nigeria since 2018, Burkina Faso since 2022, Ghana and Niger since 2024) through locally-registered, locally-owned organizations that collectively support over 456,000 people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nuru Social Enterprises: An affiliate operation of Nuru Kenya that purchases milk from farmers and processes it into yogurt which is sold throughout southwestern Kenya.
• Nuru Regional Training College (NRTC)

Products and services

• Farmer Cooperative Agribusiness Model Nuru's flagship program: a 5-7 year engagement that creates farmer-owned and farmer-led multi-purpose cooperative agribusinesses built on the seven cooperative principles, providing socio-economic benefits to rural communities. The model operates through five stages — Identify Communities, Recruit Local Leaders, Support Agribusiness Development, Enable Farmers to Benefit from Entrepreneurship, and Scale in New Communities.
• Climate-Smart Regenerative Agriculture Training A training and extension program equipping smallholder farmers with climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices that build adaptive capacity to climate change and support regenerative agriculture and nature-based solutions.
• Market Linkages Services A facilitation and mediation service that develops trust and efficiencies between cooperative agribusinesses and private-sector consumer-facing companies or traders, leading to stable business partnerships and contracts for smallholder farmers.
• Nuru Regional Training College (NRTC) A Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) College in Migori County, Kenya, providing diploma, craft, and artisan courses for farmers and youth; an accredited training institution delivering formal certifications.
• Nuru Social Enterprises (Dairy/Yogurt Processing) A Kenya-based affiliate social enterprise that purchases milk from smallholder dairy farmers and processes it into yogurt, which is sold throughout southwestern Kenya, with solar-powered cold storage for market dispatch.
• Mobile Money / Financial Inclusion Services A digital financial inclusion initiative delivered through agribusinesses to support mobile money services for smallholder farmers in Burkina Faso and other operating countries.
• Weather Information Services A weather information delivery service providing tropical weather forecasts to smallholder farmers via partnership with ignitia and other providers, supporting climate-smart agricultural decisions in countries including Burkina Faso.

Quantifiable outcome

• 456,000+ people reached since 2007 across 7 countries
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AMEA (Alliance for Agricultural Market Access)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network partnership to professionalize farmer organizations and improve their access to markets and financial services.
• SCOPEinsightcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides professionalization assessment tools for agricultural cooperatives to measure and improve business performance.
• Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership at University of Texas for rigorous third-party evaluation, including the five-year randomized control trial in Nigeria.
• ignitiacoreTechnology or IntegrationTropical weather forecasting technology partner providing critical weather information to farmers in Burkina Faso and other countries.
• Health[e] FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Nuru Ethiopia to bridge health's digital divide through training programs.
• African Nature Investors (ANI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment company focused on sustainable agriculture and nature-based solutions in Africa.
• Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational standards body that certified the Tiaty Women Honey Cooperative Society, enabling them to place products on retail shelves.
• National Beekeeping InstituteminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGovernment training institute in Lenana providing beekeeping certification programs that Nuru Kenya leverages for farmer training.
• AIM for ClimateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation Mission for Climate initiative supporting climate-smart agriculture investments.
• Principles for Digital DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork promoting best practices in digital development.
• 1% for the PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental giving network where Nuru is listed as a nonprofit member.
• Alliance for PeacebuildingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of peacebuilding organizations that Nuru participates in.
• Dot GlassesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing vision correction solutions to farmers in Kenya.
• Georgetown University Global Human Development ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership where students conducted SROI research and analysis with Nuru Ethiopia, examining social value creation.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Large global humanitarian and development NGO with significant operations in fragile, conflict-affected regions including the Sahel and northeast Nigeria. Comparable in operating environment and donor base, though it covers broader sectors (health, governance) beyond agriculture.
• BRAC: One of the largest development NGOs globally, with extensive programs in Africa including microfinance, agriculture, and livelihoods. Comparable as a broad-based, multi-country poverty alleviation organization with locally-led implementation.

Direct peers

• TechnoServe: Works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. Comparable in market-based, locally-led approach to poverty alleviation and farmer cooperative development across multiple African countries.
• Heifer International: Global nonprofit working to end hunger and poverty through sustainable agriculture, including livestock and cooperative-based community development in Africa. Overlaps with Nuru on smallholder cooperative agribusinesses and rural livelihoods focus.
• One Acre Fund: Provides smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa with financing, training, and market access to increase harvests and incomes. Directly comparable in mission (smallholder farmer uplift), service bundle (training + inputs + market linkages), and target geography (Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, etc.).
• Self Help Africa: Irish NGO supporting smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa through cooperative agribusinesses, climate-smart agriculture, and market access — closely aligned with Nuru's farmer-owned agribusiness and cooperative model.
• Root Capital: Provides capital and training to agricultural businesses in Africa and Latin America, particularly farmer cooperatives. Comparable in serving farmer-owned agricultural enterprises with blended finance and capacity building.
• Farm Africa: UK-based charity focused on reducing poverty in eastern Africa by helping farmers grow more, sell more, and sell for more. Closely comparable on mission, geography (Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania), and cooperative-based market linkage approach.

Others

• Acumen: Impact investor and fellowship program that supports entrepreneurs tackling poverty; Nuru's leadership includes Acumen Fellows. Comparable in the broader impact-investing ecosystem, talent pipelines, and patient-capital approach to poverty alleviation.

Emerging players

• Opportunity International: Microfinance and agricultural finance organization serving smallholder farmers in Africa, with a focus on financial inclusion and rural livelihoods. Comparable on the financial inclusion / agricultural finance intersection that Nuru is expanding into.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IAMNURU
• Facebookfacebook.com/nuruinternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nuru-international

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nuru International