What Mavuno does

Mavuno is a registered Congolese non-governmental organization headquartered in Beni, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, operating in conflict-affected areas of eastern Congo. Founded around 2014 and led by co-founder and Managing Director David Masomo, the organization runs an interconnected portfolio of five programs: the Center for Rural Development (CDR), a 250+ acre hub for seed multiplication, agricultural research, permaculture training, and model farms that also produces tomatoes, fish, and chickens for sale in local markets; the Farmer Field School, a "train the trainer" program that equips community leaders with agricultural, financial literacy, and credit-access knowledge to propagate those skills village-by-village; an Agripreneur Incubator providing accounting, branding, packaging, marketing, and strategy support to smallholder entrepreneurs building value-added products such as plantain flour, juice, and dried fruit; Emergency Assistance delivering food aid and outbreak response (including Ebola) in active conflict areas; and a specialty Cacao Export business using centralized fermentation and drying to link eastern Congo smallholder farmers to international markets.

The organization's beneficiaries are vulnerable populations in North Kivu — displaced persons, host families, elderly, and persons with disabilities — alongside smallholder farmers and rural community leaders. The target customer segments are persona-based (rural micro-business / individual) rather than enterprise, and segmentation is vertical by humanitarian need profile. Mavuno's go-to-market is community-led: distribution occurs through community mobilizers, agricultural fairs (foires), direct cash transfers (e.g., $65 per household), and in-person training, with last-mile delivery executed by 11 core staff including a Managing Director, community mobilizers, an Agricultural Production Supervisor, an Animal Production Supervisor, agronomists, a Monitoring & Evaluation Officer, a Logistic Officer, and an Accountant. Offices are maintained in Beni (headquarters), Butembo, and an operational footprint extending into Musienene in Lubero territory.

Mavuno's revenue model is a hybrid of grant-funded project execution and modest commercial activity. Funding flows come from international institutional donors — Tearfund, World Vision, Dutch Relief Alliance, German BMZ, and USAID — with disbursements tied to specific projects such as a German BMZ resilience project (launched June 2020, second phase ending November 2023) and a Dutch Relief Alliance consortium program with national partners FEPSI and ECC-NK. Commercial revenue consists of local produce sales (tomatoes, fish, chickens) described as covering operational costs, and specialty cocoa exports described as "another revenue stream" for scaling impact. There is no disclosed pricing because beneficiaries receive aid, training, and inputs at no cost. Operating geographies are restricted to North Kivu province, specifically Beni and Lubero territories and surrounding health zones (Oicha, Mabalako, Vuhovi, Musienene); no global footprint is claimed.

Name

Mavuno

Legal name

Mavuno

Website

https://mavuno.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mavuno is a Congolese NGO headquartered in Beni, North Kivu, that runs a 250+ acre Center for Rural Development, a train-the-trainer Farmer Field School, an Agripreneur Incubator, emergency food assistance, and a specialty cocoa export business serving smallholder farmers, displaced persons, and vulnerable households in eastern DRC, funded primarily by institutional development grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Development Services

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Support Activities for Animal Production (11521), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems & Land Management (BPADALAG), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI), Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)

Keywords

• Agricultural development services
• Rural community development
• Farmer training programs
• Specialty cocoa export
• Emergency food assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Nord-Kivu

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Product Sales: The CDR produces and sells tomatoes, fish, and chickens at scale in local markets to cover operational costs, making Mavuno financially sustainable unlike other NGOs in the region
2. Cocoa Export: Business producing and exporting specialty cocoa to international markets, creating value and providing market access for smallholder cacao farmers while generating revenue for scaling impact
3. Donor Grants and Aid Programs: Executes grants and emergency assistance programs funded by USAID, Tearfund, World Vision, Dutch Relief Alliance, and German BMZ for food assistance, Ebola response, and development projects

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Mavuno is a Congolese NGO that delivers grassroots agribusiness development in eastern Congo through five core programs: a 250-acre Center for Rural Development that multiplies seeds, conducts agricultural research, and produces tomatoes, fish, and chickens; a Farmer Field School "train the trainer" program for community leaders; an Agripreneur Incubator supporting smallholder entrepreneurs; donor-funded Emergency Assistance for conflict-affected populations; and a specialty Cacao Export business linking smallholder farmers to international markets. The organization is supported by grants from USAID, Tearfund, World Vision, the Dutch Relief Alliance, and German BMZ, and generates supplementary revenue through local product sales and cocoa exports.

Product overview

Mavuno is a locally led agribusiness development organization operating in eastern Congo. Rather than a unified software product, Mavuno offers a portfolio of interconnected agricultural programs: the Center for Rural Development (CDR) serves as the flagship 250-acre hub for production and innovation; the Farmer Field School provides train-the-trainer education; the Agripreneur Incubator supports small business development; Emergency Assistance delivers humanitarian aid; and the Cacao Export business connects smallholder farmers to international markets. These programs work together to create a financially, socially, and environmentally sustainable engine serving Congolese farmers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centre de Developpement Rural (CDR): Eastern Congo's hub for agricultural production and innovation, occupying over 250 acres of land, serving as an agribusiness with seed multiplication, agricultural research, permaculture training, and model farms.

Products and services

• Center for Rural Development (CDR) The Centre de Developpement Rural is a 250+ acre agribusiness hub that multiplies and sells seeds, performs agricultural research, conducts permaculture training, hosts model farms, and produces tomatoes, fish, and chickens at scale for sale in local markets to cover Mavuno's operational costs.
• Farmer Field School A "train the trainer" program where community leaders from surrounding villages receive training on improved agricultural techniques, market understanding, financial literacy, credit access, and teaching methods, then return to their villages to equip their communities.
• Agripreneur Incubator A full-spectrum support program for smallholder entrepreneurs including accounting, branding, packaging, marketing, and strategy development, supporting the creation of value-added products such as plantain flour, juice, and dried fruit.
• Emergency Assistance Grant-funded humanitarian aid program providing emergency food assistance in active conflict areas and supporting outbreak responses such as Ebola, delivered in partnership with USAID and large international NGOs.
• Cacao Export A specialty cocoa production and export business that sources from smallholder cacao farmers, applies centralized fermentation and drying processes, and exports to international markets, leveraging eastern Congo's climate, soil type, and altitude.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1400 vulnerable households provided with agricultural inputs through farming fairs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World VisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2022International NGO partnership for humanitarian assistance and food security programs. World Vision co-funds and collaborates with Mavuno on emergency response and agricultural input distribution to vulnerable populations in conflict-affected areas.
• FEPSIminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2022National Congolese organization partner in Dutch Relief Alliance consortium with Mavuno for emergency assistance programs.
• ECC-NKminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2022National Congolese organization (Eglise du Christ au Congo - Nord Kivu) partner in Dutch Relief Alliance consortium for emergency assistance programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Root Capital: Non-profit agricultural impact investor providing capital and advisory to smallholder cooperatives in Africa and Latin America. Comparable to Mavuno's cocoa value chain support and agripreneur financing model, with broader geographic scope.
• One Acre Fund: Provides smallholder farmers with agricultural inputs, training, and financing across Africa. Directly comparable to Mavuno's farming fairs (seeds + tools) and Farmer Field School training model serving smallholder farmers in rural Africa.
• TechnoServe: Non-profit that develops business solutions to poverty, with deep expertise in agricultural value chains, farmer training, and agripreneurship. Closely comparable to Mavuno's agribusiness development, agripreneur incubator, and cocoa value chain work.
• Heifer International: Global non-profit that supports smallholder farmers through agricultural training, livestock provision, and value chain development. Highly comparable to Mavuno's CDR-driven, train-the-trainer smallholder farmer support model, though operating at much larger scale.
• Self Help Africa: International development NGO focused on rural livelihoods and smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable to Mavuno's rural livelihoods, farmer training, and agricultural input distribution work, though active in different African geographies.
• Twin Trading: Specialty cocoa and coffee trader that works directly with smallholder farmer cooperatives to bring African-origin cocoa into international markets. Highly comparable to Mavuno's specialty cocoa export business supporting smallholder cacao farmers.

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Large humanitarian and development organization with agricultural programs in fragile states including DRC. Comparable to Mavuno's emergency assistance and agricultural development work, though Mercy Corps operates as a broad incumbent with a much larger portfolio.
• Catholic Relief Services: Large US-based humanitarian agency with extensive agriculture, food security, and livelihoods programming in DRC and across Africa. Comparable to Mavuno's grant execution, agricultural input distribution, and emergency food assistance activities.
• Concern Worldwide: International humanitarian organization working on livelihoods, food security, and emergency response across Africa. Comparable to Mavuno's emergency assistance, cash transfers, and agricultural resilience programming in fragile contexts.

Emerging players

• Equal Exchange: Worker-owned cooperative sourcing specialty cocoa, coffee, and bananas from smallholder farmer cooperatives for international markets. Comparable to Mavuno's specialty cocoa export mission and smallholder farmer market-access focus, though at a more mature commercial scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mavunocongo
• Facebookfacebook.com/mavunocongo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mavuno-grassroots-development-for-congo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Mavuno