Rainmaker Enterprise

What Rainmaker Enterprise does

Rainmaker Enterprise is a Canadian non-profit social enterprise founded in March 2017 by James Thuch Madhier, a former South Sudanese refugee, and headquartered in Toronto with field operations in Thiet, Tonj State, South Sudan. The organization installs solar-powered water infrastructure in conflict-affected regions, combining boreholes, solar-powered groundwater pumps, raised storage tanks, and tap distribution networks to deliver clean water for up to 3,000 people per site. Its core offering is technically straightforward: solar-powered pumping replaces diesel generation and manual hand pumps, while drip irrigation systems are co-deployed to enable year-round dry-season farming on a demonstration farm and adjacent smallholder plots.

The business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than commercial. Rainmaker has secured approximately CAD $256,500 in documented funding, the bulk of which is a CAD $250,000 grant from the Humanitarian Grand Challenge (USAID, DFID UK, Netherlands MFA, Grand Challenges Canada) awarded in September 2018 over two years. Supplementary revenue comes from individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and annual events (Water for Peace gala, Rainmaker Run, CAP Network bike-a-thon). The customer base consists of conflict-affected rural communities in South Sudan, with women and girls, smallholder farmers, and youth identified as primary beneficiary segments. Operations are supported by a small leadership team of seven, plus a board and advisory board that includes figures such as Lt.-Gen. Roméo Dallaire and Dr. James Orbinski.

Beyond water infrastructure, Rainmaker has expanded into agricultural support services, including an 18-acre demonstration farm, a tractor-for-hire mechanization service, and climate-resilient farmer training delivered in partnership with the World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator and ADRA South Sudan. Strategic partnerships are central to delivery: the CAP Network provides Canadian charity infrastructure, the Dahdaleh Institute at York University provides academic support, and Gruppo CAP provides water-sector mentorship. The organization has been recognized through the Humanitarian Grand Challenge, Water Canada's Water Steward of the Year, and the Resolution Project Fellowship, among other awards.

Name

Rainmaker Enterprise

Legal name

The Rainmaker Enterprise

Website

https://rainmakerenterprise.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rainmaker Enterprise is a Toronto-based non-profit social enterprise that installs solar-powered water supply and drip irrigation systems for conflict-affected communities in South Sudan, serving approximately 3,000 people per site with clean water and year-round farming capacity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Water and Food Security Infrastructure

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Source Development & Intake Systems (Wells, Boreholes, Intakes) (AFAAACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Source Development & Conveyance (Intakes, Canals, Pipelines) (AFACAFAH), Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE), Intake/Outfall & Raw Water Abstraction Works (River/Sea Intakes, Outfalls) (IMAFAGAI)

Keywords

• Solar-powered water systems
• Drip irrigation infrastructure
• Humanitarian water access
• Regenerative agriculture training
• Conflict-zone development

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: Rainmaker Enterprise operates as a non-profit social enterprise that raises funds through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and charitable contributions. Donations support the installation of solar-powered water infrastructure in conflict-affected regions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Rainmaker Enterprise is a non-profit social enterprise that deploys solar-powered water infrastructure in conflict-affected regions of South Sudan to provide clean drinking water and enable regenerative agriculture. Its core offering combines borehole drilling, solar-powered groundwater pumps, raised water storage tanks, and tap distribution networks, complemented by drip irrigation systems, an 18-acre demonstration farm, smallholder farmer training, and tractor-for-hire mechanization services delivered in partnership with WFP.

Product overview

Rainmaker Enterprise is a non-profit social enterprise offering a suite of physical water infrastructure products and agricultural support services for conflict-affected communities in South Sudan. The core offering consists of solar-powered water supply systems that combine borehole drilling, solar-powered groundwater pumps, raised water storage tanks, and tap distribution networks. These systems are complemented by drip irrigation infrastructure enabling year-round farming. The enterprise also operates an 18-acre demonstration farm for training and employs local community members. Capacity building services include smallholder farmer training programs and a tractor-for-hire mechanization service, delivered in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solar-Powered Water Supply Systems Solar-powered groundwater pumping systems that include boreholes, raised water storage tanks, and tap distribution points providing communities with access to clean water for drinking and household use; serving up to 3,000 people in Thiet, South Sudan.
• Drip Irrigation Systems Water-efficient drip irrigation systems connected to solar-powered water sources, enabling year-round dry season farming and supporting crop production including sorghum, groundnuts and vegetables on demonstration farms and smallholder farmer plots in the Tonj region.
• Demonstration Farm 18-acre demonstration farm in Thiet, South Sudan managed by local teams that provides employment, hands-on learning and training opportunities for community members in regenerative agricultural practices including drip irrigation, flood and drought-resistant crop selection and soil management.
• Smallholder Farmer Training and Support Technical assistance and training program for local smallholder farmers on climate-resilient farming methods, provided in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) South Sudan, including access to tractor-for-hire mechanization services to increase yields and improve livelihoods.
• Tractor-for-Hire Service Affordable tractor mechanization service model introduced to meet local farmer demand where farming is otherwise completely manual, resulting in increases in yields and income for smallholder farmers in the Tonj region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000 people provided with access to clean water
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canada Africa Partnership (CAP) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered Canadian charity that facilitates partnerships between Canadian and African communities for community development. Engaged Rainmaker South Sudan to support installation of the first solar-powered irrigation system in Tonj region. Provides charity partnership for tax receipts.
• Gruppo CAP/CAP GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages integrated water service in Milan Metropolitan area, Italy. Rainmaker participates in CAP Group's incubator program, working with water sector professionals to conduct baseline study on groundwater systems in South Sudan for data-driven decision-making.
• Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research (DIGHR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitute at York University provides strategic support to Rainmaker Enterprise. James Thuch Madhier was DIGHR's inaugural Global Health and Humanitarianism Intern. DIGHR is committed to effectiveness, excellence and equity in global health research.
• WFP South SudancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCountry office collaboration for boosting local food production capacity in South Sudan. Joint assessment missions and exploration of collaboration among humanitarian actors in the region.
• Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) South SudanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization collaborating with Rainmaker and WFP to assess impact of tractor-for-hire and irrigation projects in Tonj region. Joint delegation visits to project site for impact assessment.
• Omaski Sai Co Infra Ltd.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical installation company in Juba, South Sudan that played indispensable role in planning and installation of solar-powered groundwater pump, raised water storage tank, and water collection stations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Engineers Without Borders: Non-profit mobilizing engineers to address poverty and sustainable development issues, including water infrastructure in Africa. Comparable on the engineer-led, technical-solution framing for development challenges.

Broad incumbents

• Water for People: Non-profit working to ensure sustainable access to safe water and sanitation in developing countries, with a strong presence in East Africa including South Sudan. Highly comparable geography and mission to Rainmaker.
• charity: water: Major non-profit funding clean water projects in developing countries with a strong donor-driven, transparency-focused brand. Compares to Rainmaker on mission (community water access via fundraising) but operates at vastly larger scale globally.
• Water.org: Global non-profit co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White using market-based financing (WaterCredit) to deliver water and sanitation in the developing world. Shares Rainmaker's 'market-based solutions to water scarcity' framing but operates at global scale.
• WaterAid: A leading international non-profit focused on providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in low-income countries. Operates at significantly larger scale in many of the same regions Rainmaker targets, making it a broad incumbent in the community-led water access space.
• Evidence Action: Non-profit scaling evidence-based water and health interventions (e.g., Dispensers for Safe Water) in Africa and Asia. Comparable on water infrastructure delivery in low-income regions, with a more rigorous M&E orientation.

Direct peers

• Pump Aid: Non-profit focused on providing sustainable water access and irrigation in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Closely comparable to Rainmaker on the integration of water access with agricultural productivity for smallholder farmers.
• Lifewater International: Christian non-profit drilling wells and training communities in water, sanitation, and hygiene in sub-Saharan Africa. Directly comparable to Rainmaker on geography (rural Africa), technology (borehole/well drilling), and community-led model.

Emerging players

• SunCulture: Social enterprise selling solar-powered irrigation systems to smallholder farmers across East Africa. Closely comparable technology stack (solar + water + agriculture) and target customer (smallholder farmers), though operating as a commercial enterprise rather than non-profit.
• Solar Water Solutions: Company providing solar-powered water desalination and purification systems for off-grid communities. Comparable technology approach (solar-powered water infrastructure) though focused on desalination rather than groundwater pumping.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rainmakerorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/rainmakerenterprise
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rainmaker-enterprise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Rainmaker Enterprise