Bettina von Spreckelsen

A Kenyan entrepreneur revolutionizing food supply chains through Twiga Foods

Bettina von Spreckelsen is a visionary entrepreneur and CEO of Twiga Foods, a tech-driven Kenyan startup transforming agricultural supply chains across East Africa. Founded in 2013, Twiga Foods connects over 35,000 smallholder farmers directly with urban retailers, eliminating middlemen and reducing food waste by 40%. The platform uses mobile payments and IoT sensors to create transparency in a traditionally fragmented sector.

Before launching Twiga, Bettina worked in investment banking in London and Nairobi, where she observed systemic inefficiencies in Kenya's food distribution. Her solution combines blockchain technology for traceability and solar-powered cold storage units to preserve perishables. By 2022, the company had expanded to Tanzania and Uganda, processing 1,000+ metric tons of produce daily.

Bettina's work has been featured in Financial Times and World Economic Forum reports. She sits on the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 advisory board, advocating for inclusive agri-tech solutions. Her TED Talk "How tech can feed Africa" has over 1.2 million views.