AATF
AATF is a not-for-profit technology-transfer foundation, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Nairobi, that negotiates royalty-free access to proprietary agricultural biotechnologies and deploys them to smallholder farmers across 23 Sub-Saharan African countries through public-private partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What AATF does
AATF (African Agricultural Technology Foundation) is a not-for-profit, African-led technology-transfer organization founded in 2003 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. It operates as an intermediary that negotiates royalty-free access to proprietary agricultural technologies held by global life-science companies — including Monsanto/Bayer, BASF, and Syngenta — and deploys them to smallholder farmers across 23 Sub-Saharan African countries through partnerships with national agricultural research systems, seed companies, government extension services, NGOs, and farmer cooperatives.
Its technology portfolio centers on biotechnology transfer and crop improvement, including TELA Maize (drought-tolerant and insect-resistant GMO maize), PBR Cowpea (pod-borer-resistant varieties), hybrid rice development (10 varieties commercially released in Kenya), cassava mechanization and agro-processing (CAMAP), and a newer genome-editing program in partnership with BioHeuris. Distribution is executed through dedicated subsidiaries — AGRIDRIVE LTD, ECOBASIC SEED, and QualiBasic Seed — alongside licensed private seed companies (Sterling Seeds, Seed Co, WACOT) and CGIAR research centers (IITA, CIMMYT, AfricaRice).
AATF is funded almost entirely by institutional development donors, with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, USAID, UKAID/DFID, the African Development Bank, the EU, USDA, GIZ, UKRI, and IDRC explicitly identified as core and major financial partners. The organization does not charge farmers for technology access and operates across three internal programs (Farm Productivity, Seed Systems Development & Commercialization, and Enabling Environment) with regional offices in Abuja, Nigeria and Kigali, Rwanda.
AATF firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AATF
- Legal name
- African Agricultural Technology Foundation
- Website
- https://aatf-africa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- AATF is a not-for-profit technology-transfer foundation, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Nairobi, that negotiates royalty-free access to proprietary agricultural biotechnologies and deploys them to smallholder farmers across 23 Sub-Saharan African countries through public-private partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AATF industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Technology Transfer Services
- NAICS
- Farm Management Services (115116)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), Seed & Trait Distribution (Dealer Networks) (AFABAJAD)
Keywords
Where AATF is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices3 records
Markets served
AATF business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Foundation/Donor Funding: AATF is a not-for-profit organization that operates primarily through grants and funding from international development investors including foundations (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation), government aid agencies (USAID, UKAID/DFID, USDA), development banks (AfDB), and research councils (UKRI, IDRC)
- Technology Transfer Facilitation: AATF facilitates the royalty-free transfer of technologies to African farmers through public/private partnerships, serving as an honest broker that negotiates access to proprietary technologies held by technology owners
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
AATF product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AATF facilitates the royalty-free transfer and deployment of proprietary agricultural technologies (drought-tolerant and insect-resistant maize, pod-borer resistant cowpea, hybrid rice, cassava mechanization, genome-edited crops) to smallholder farmers across 23 Sub-Saharan African countries. Operating as an "honest broker," it negotiates access with technology owners, manages adaptive R&D and regulatory approvals through national research systems, and supports last-mile delivery via seed companies, government extension, NGOs, agro-dealers, and farmer cooperatives.
Product overview
AATF (African Agricultural Technology Foundation) is a not-for-profit African-led technology-transfer organisation that provides smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa with practical agricultural technology solutions. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, AATF operates through multiple programs including Farm Productivity, Seed Systems Development & Product Commercialisation, and Enabling Environment. The organization's portfolio includes technology transfer projects covering maize (TELA Maize, TAAT Maize Compact, BMSS, ABMAN), rice (Hybrid Rice Project, NEWEST Rice), cowpea (PBR Cowpea), cassava (CAMAP), and cross-cutting initiatives like OFAB, ACAT, and AHyRA. AATF also manages special initiatives including ACAT (African AgriTech Conference), AHyRA (Alliance for Hybrid Rice in Africa), and works through subsidiaries AGRIDRIVE LTD, ECOBASIC SEED, and QualiBasic Seed (QBS) for seed systems development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TELA Maize: Drought-tolerant and pest-resistant maize technology project
- OFAB
- CAMAP
- PBR Cowpea
- BMSS
- ABMAN
- TAAT
Products and services
- TELA Maize Project Drought-tolerant and insect-resistant maize varieties project for smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, deploying biotech maize with traits including drought tolerance and insect resistance (Bt) through partnership with CIMMYT and licensed traits from technology owners.
- PBR Cowpea Project (Pod-Borer Resistant Cowpea) Development and deployment of pod-borer resistant cowpea varieties genetically modified to resist the Maruca pod borer pest, reducing pesticide use and increasing yields for smallholder farmers in West Africa.
- Hybrid Rice Project Initiative to accelerate hybrid rice development and adoption across Africa, including establishment of the Alliance for Hybrid Rice in Africa (AHyRA) and collaboration with AfricaRice.
- NEWEST Rice Project Project focused on nitrogen-use efficient, water-use efficient, and salt-tolerant rice varieties for African production conditions.
- CAMAP (Cassava Mechanisation and Agroprocessing Project) Project aimed at mechanizing cassava farming and developing agroprocessing value chains to improve efficiency and reduce post-harvest losses for cassava growers.
- MLN Diagnostics and Management Project Project focused on maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease diagnostics and management solutions for African maize production.
- Seeds2B Project Project facilitating seed systems development and product commercialization for improved seed access across African markets.
- OFAB (Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa) Platform promoting dialogue and awareness on agricultural biotechnology across Africa, supporting evidence-based decision-making by policymakers, researchers, and the public.
- TAAT Maize Compact Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation program compact focused on maize productivity improvements and scaling proven technologies across African countries.
- TAAT Policy Enabler Policy program facilitating enabling environment for efficient deployment of high-impact agricultural technologies across African countries.
- ACAT (African AgriTech Conference and Exhibition) Annual conference and exhibition platform convening stakeholders to drive investment and partnerships in Agri-Tech solutions for Africa's agricultural transformation.
- AHyRA (Alliance for Hybrid Rice in Africa) Landmark platform established to accelerate hybrid rice development and adoption across the African continent.
- Agridrive Ltd (Special Initiative) AATF subsidiary providing agricultural mechanization services and solutions to support technology deployment across African farming systems.
- Ecobasic Seed (Special Initiative) AATF subsidiary focused on seed production and development for African smallholder markets.
- QualiBasic Seed (QBS) (Special Initiative) AATF subsidiary supporting quality basic seed production as part of AATF's seed systems development programme.
Companies that use AATF
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AATF technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
AATF partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- AUDA-NEPADmajorSigned MoU to improve agricultural productivity and supply chains through genome editing innovation, supporting the African Union's development agenda.
- BioHeurismajorPartnership to boost productivity with genome-edited crops in Africa, representing next-generation breeding techniques for improved crop varieties.
- Monsanto/BayercoreTechnology owner providing proprietary agricultural biotechnology including GM traits for maize and other crops, licensed royalty-free for African smallholder farmers.
- BASFcoreAgricultural chemistry and biotechnology company providing access to proprietary crop protection and improvement technologies for African deployment.
- IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture)coreCGIAR center providing research expertise, germplasm, and breeding programs for cassava, maize, rice, and other staple crops across Africa.
- CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center)coreCGIAR center collaborating on maize improvement programs including the WEMA and TELA maize projects for drought-tolerant and insect-resistant varieties.
- AfricaRicecoreCGIAR center collaborating on rice improvement and the Alliance for Hybrid Rice in Africa (AHyRA) initiative.
- FARA (Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa)majorContinental forum coordinating agricultural research and development across Africa's sub-regional organizations.
- ASARECAmajorSub-regional organization for agricultural research and development in East and Central Africa.
- CORAF/WECARDmajorSub-regional research council for West and Central Africa coordinating agricultural research initiatives.
- Kenyan National Agricultural Research SystemcorePartnership with Kenyan agricultural research institutes including KALRO and KEPHIS for biosafety regulation and technology deployment.
- NARO UgandacoreNational Agricultural Research Organization of Uganda collaborating on crop improvement and biosafety programs.
- ARCBN NigeriacoreAgricultural Research Council of Nigeria coordinating national agricultural research activities.
- Sterling Seeds LimitedmajorUgandan seed company founded by AATF board member Sylvia Kyeyune, expanding farmers' access to quality seed technologies.
- Seed Co LimitedmajorMajor African seed company providing commercial distribution of improved seed varieties across multiple African countries.
- WACOT LimitedmajorNigerian agribusiness company involved in seed production and commercial distribution of improved varieties.
- SNVmajorInternational development organization partnering on agricultural development and market systems programs.
- PepsiCominorFood and beverage company engaged in agricultural development initiatives in Africa.
- SyngentaminorAgribusiness company providing agricultural technology and inputs for African agriculture programs.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AATF competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CropLife International: CropLife International is the global industry association for the crop science and agricultural biotechnology sector, representing companies including Bayer and BASF that provide proprietary technologies AATF licenses. Comparable as an advocate for agricultural biotechnology adoption, though with a commercial-industry (vs. smallholder-non-profit) orientation.
Direct peers
- One Acre Fund: One Acre Fund is a not-for-profit serving smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa with inputs, training, and market access. Comparable as a high-impact African agricultural nonprofit that delivers services and improved inputs through last-mile networks, though with a more farmer-services (vs. biotech licensing) orientation.
- HarvestPlus: HarvestPlus is a non-profit that breeds and disseminates biofortified staple crops to address micronutrient deficiency in smallholder-farmer communities globally. Highly comparable as a CGIAR-anchored, donor-funded organization that develops crop technologies for African and Asian smallholders through public-private partnerships.
- CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center): CIMMYT is a CGIAR research center and AATF's primary collaborator on the WEMA and TELA Maize drought-tolerant/insect-resistant maize programs. Comparable mandate of developing and deploying improved cereal varieties for resource-poor farmers in developing regions.
- ICIPE (International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology): ICIPE (now the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology) is an Africa-based non-profit scientific research organization developing pest management and climate-smart agricultural solutions for smallholder farmers. Comparable as a research-and-deployment non-profit targeting African agricultural constraints through technology transfer and partnerships.
- AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa): AGRA is a not-for-profit Africa-focused foundation working to improve smallholder farm productivity through partnerships with governments, research institutions, and the private sector. Highly comparable mission, donor model, and African smallholder focus, with AATF focused on technology transfer and AGRA on broader systems improvement.
- AfricaRice: AfricaRice is a CGIAR center and a direct collaborator with AATF on the Alliance for Hybrid Rice in Africa (AHyRA) initiative. Both organizations develop and deploy improved rice technologies to African smallholders through partnerships with national research systems.
- IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture): IITA is a CGIAR research center delivering agricultural innovations for Africa, including cassava, maize, and yam breeding, and is a direct operational peer and partner of AATF on technology development for smallholder systems. Comparable as a research-to-deployment organization targeting Sub-Saharan African productivity constraints.
- IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute): IFPRI is a CGIAR research institute providing policy-oriented research on food security and agricultural development. Comparable as a research-and-policy organization funded by donors and governments to support African smallholder productivity, though more research-focused than AATF's deployment orientation.
- FFAR (Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research): FFAR is a US-based non-profit foundation that funds agricultural research through public-private partnerships to address pressing food and agriculture challenges. Comparable as a donor-funded agricultural research foundation leveraging cross-sector partnerships to deliver technology solutions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AATF social profiles
Digital presenceAATF financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AATF leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
AATF subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
AATF funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AATF M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AATF
What does AATF do?
AATF facilitates the royalty-free transfer and deployment of proprietary agricultural technologies (drought-tolerant and insect-resistant maize, pod-borer resistant cowpea, hybrid rice, cassava mechanization, genome-edited crops) to smallholder farmers across 23 Sub-Saharan African countries. Operating as an "honest broker," it negotiates access with technology owners, manages adaptive R&D and regulatory approvals through national research systems, and supports last-mile delivery via seed companies, government extension, NGOs, agro-dealers, and farmer cooperatives.
Is AATF a public or private company?
AATF is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was AATF founded?
AATF was founded in 2003. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is AATF based?
AATF is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does AATF make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Foundation/Donor Funding is the primary driver. The others are technology Transfer Facilitation.
Who are AATF's main competitors?
CropLife International is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are One Acre Fund, HarvestPlus, CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center), ICIPE (International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology), AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), AfricaRice, IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture), IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute) and FFAR (Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research).
Does AATF have an API?
No public API is recorded for AATF.
What industry is AATF in?
AATF's product category is Agricultural Technology Transfer Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAL, Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support), with a secondary code of AFACABAL, Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory). Its NAICS code is 115116 and its SIC code is 700.