What Usomi does

Usomi Limited is a Nairobi-based, privately-held agricultural technology company founded in 2013 that serves smallholder farmers across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The company operates a platform-plus-initiatives architecture spanning four distinct offerings: Lulu, a paperless farm data collection and management platform accessible on both Android smartphones and feature phones; Rubi, a virtual produce aggregation and market-sourcing platform that uses a 48-hour competitive bidding process and settles via a Rubi wallet integrated with M-Pesa; Nutrigren Solutions, an end-to-end specialty grain program covering Red Sorghum, Finger Millet, and Pulses across seed supply, training, and market access; and the Kukunyumbani Initiative, an indigenous (Kienyeji) chicken program operating through mother-unit distribution in Makueni, Kitui, Embu, and Bungoma counties. Reported operational metrics include ~1,800 smallholder farmers supported through Nutrigren, ~1,000 farmers under Climate Smart Agriculture, 3,000 acres under millet cultivation with 600 kg/acre yields, and less than 5% bird mortality in the poultry program.

The company generates revenue primarily through transaction fees on Rubi produce sales, margins on Lulu-driven farm input purchases, and program participation fees for Nutrigren and Kukunyumbani. Distribution combines self-serve mobile platforms with a field network of Commodity Supply Specialists who verify and aggregate produce into physical collection centers in Machakos, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Uasin Gishu, plus a regional office in Isiolo. Customer segments include smallholder farmers (primary), rural women and youth, specialty grain farmers, farmer cooperatives, NGOs and development partners (including CRS and MID-P), and corporate partners. Strategic partners include CRS, Unga (input supply), MID-P, and Agrikima. The company discloses no external funding rounds, no management team, and no revenue figures in the available source material, and there is no evidence of AI/ML capability beyond conventional data analytics.

Name

Usomi

Legal name

USOMI Limited

Website

https://usomi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Usomi Limited is a Nairobi-based agricultural technology company serving smallholder farmers in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania through mobile platforms for farm data collection (Lulu), virtual produce aggregation (Rubi), specialty grain support (Nutrigren), and indigenous poultry programs (Kukunyumbani).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Technology

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm Management & Decision Support Software (FMIS, ERP, Recordkeeping) (AFAGALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agriculture Inputs & Farm Supply Marketplaces (CRAFAHAL), Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support) (AFACAJAG)

Keywords

• Agricultural technology services
• Smallholder farmer support
• Farm data management
• Produce aggregation
• Market access platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Revenue model

1. Rubi platform transaction fees: Rubi platform facilitates produce aggregation and market sourcing through competitive bidding. Payment processed through Rubi wallet system via M-Pesa. Farmers receive payment within 48 hours of successful bidding and quality verification.
2. Input supply marketplace: Lulu platform enables cell-phone driven purchasing and delivery service for farm inputs at lower prices based on group purchasing strategy. Revenue generated from input supply transactions.
3. Nutrigren program fees: End-to-end agricultural support for Red Sorghum, Finger Millet, and Pulses including seed supply, technical training, and market access. Payment schedules established based on input supply agreements and delivery milestones.
4. Kukunyumbani poultry program: Indigenous chicken program supporting rural farmers through mother unit programs, feed supply, veterinary services, and market linkages. Revenue from program participation and chicken sales.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Usomi operates technology-enabled agricultural services for smallholder farmers in East Africa, centered on two proprietary platforms: the Lulu platform for paperless farm data collection, real-time field analytics, and input purchasing via mobile phones, and the Rubi platform for virtual produce aggregation and market sourcing through competitive bidding with M-Pesa-integrated payments. Beyond the platforms, Usomi delivers two specialized initiatives: Nutrigren (end-to-end support for Red Sorghum, Finger Millet, and Pulses cultivation) and Kukunyumbani (indigenous chicken farming program through mother units).

Product overview

Usomi operates a platform-plus-initiatives architecture consisting of four distinct offerings: Lulu (paperless data collection platform for farm management), Rubi (virtual aggregation and market sourcing platform), Nutrigren Solutions (end-to-end support for Red Sorghum, Finger Millet, and Pulses), and Kukunyumbani Initiative (indigenous chicken farming support). The platforms serve smallholder farmers in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania with paperless data systems, market access, and comprehensive agricultural solutions for sustainable growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lulu: Paperless data collection platform providing real-time field data capture, cloud storage and analytics, and automated reporting for farm management.
• Rubi
• Nutrigren
• Kukunyumbani

Products and services

• Lulu Paperless data collection and farm management platform providing real-time field data capture, cloud storage, analytics, automated reporting, advisory farming calendars, group-based input purchasing, and near real-time performance diagnostics for smallholder farmers across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
• Rubi Virtual produce aggregation and market sourcing platform that enables smallholder farmers to collectively aggregate small quantities for access to better-paying markets through a 48-hour competitive bidding process. Integrated with Rubi wallet and M-Pesa for direct farmer payments within 48 hours of successful bidding and quality verification by certified Commodity Supply Specialists.
• Nutrigren Solutions End-to-end agricultural support initiative providing quality seeds, technical training, input supply, and market access for specialty grain cultivation (Red Sorghum, Finger Millet, and Pulses) with payment schedules based on input supply agreements and delivery milestones.
• Kukunyumbani Initiative Initiative supporting indigenous chicken (Kienyeji) farmers through mother unit programs that distribute chicks, feed supply, and veterinary services, providing market linkages for poultry sales with bird mortality rates below 5% and average bird weight of 2kg achieved within 3 months.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 30% yield increase through data-driven decisions
• +4 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CRS (Catholic Relief Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner collaborating on agricultural development projects and farmer empowerment programs with joint program implementation and knowledge sharing.
• UngacoreTechnology or IntegrationAgricultural inputs partner providing quality feed and grain products through Usomi's platform services for smallholder farmers.
• MID-PcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic development partner working on agricultural initiatives and farmer empowerment programs in Kenya.
• AgrikimaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural development partner supporting farmer programs and agricultural initiatives in the region.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Digital Green: Organization using video and digital tools to deliver agricultural extension advice to smallholder farmers in India and East Africa. Comparable to Usomi's Lulu advisory information module and farmer training components, though non-commercial in orientation.
• Pula Advisors: Pan-African agricultural insurance and advisory provider for smallholder farmers. Adjacent to Usomi's risk-management and advisory components (input procurement, advisory calendars), and serves similar smallholder customers in Kenya and broader Africa.
• SunCulture: Kenyan ag-tech company selling solar-powered irrigation systems to smallholder farmers. Comparable customer base and geography to Usomi, though focused on a single product category rather than Usomi's multi-product platform approach.
• Hello Tractor: East African ag-tech platform connecting smallholder farmers with tractor owners via a mobile marketplace. Comparable in applying mobile-first platform technology to smallholder farmer productivity challenges across Kenya and Nigeria.
• Acre Africa (ACRE): Kenyan agricultural insurance and risk management provider for smallholder farmers, with embedded distribution through agri-input dealers. Comparable to Usomi in serving Kenyan smallholders with complementary risk-mitigation services, and a natural partnership candidate alongside Lulu's input marketplace.

Direct peers

• Farmers Pride: Kenyan B2B agricultural e-commerce platform serving smallholder farmers with inputs, advisory, and market access. Comparable to Usomi across platform-enabled input distribution and smallholder farmer empowerment in Kenya.
• Twiga Foods: Kenya-based B2B produce marketplace that aggregates smallholder produce and sells to urban retailers. Highly comparable to Usomi's Rubi aggregation model, M-Pesa-based payments, and smallholder farmer value proposition, though at significantly larger scale.
• Apollo Agriculture: Kenyan ag-tech platform providing smallholder farmers with inputs on credit, agronomic advice, and market access. Directly comparable to Usomi's combination of input marketplace (Lulu), advisory, and market linkages targeting Kenyan smallholders.
• One Acre Fund (Tupande): Large East African social enterprise delivering inputs, training, and market access to smallholder farmers. Operates Tupande in Kenya with comparable bundled service model (inputs + agronomic support + market linkage) to Usomi's Lulu/Rubi/Nutrigren offering.
• iProcure: East African agricultural inputs supply chain platform connecting agro-dealers and farmers with manufacturers. Closely comparable to Usomi's Lulu input procurement and group purchasing strategy, targeting similar smallholder and agro-dealer customers in Kenya.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/UsomiAgro
• Facebookfacebook.com/usomiadvisory
• Instagraminstagram.com/p/BriUmcrg2Uu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usomiagro

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Usomi