Blessing Mmae

Nigerian agri-tech innovator revolutionizing African agriculture through digital platforms

Background

Blessing Mmae is a Nigerian entrepreneur and founder of Farmcrowdy, Africa's first agritech platform connecting smallholder farmers with investors. Born in 1993 in Lagos, she identified gaps in Nigeria's agricultural sector during her studies at Covenant University. Mmae's platform uses AI-driven analytics and satellite technology to optimize crop yields, making farming more profitable for rural communities. By 2023, Farmcrowdy had impacted over 30,000 farmers across 29 states.

Innovation & Impact

Her digital marketplace enables farmers to access capital, market information, and training through mobile apps. The platform's crop crowdfunding model allows investors to fund specific farm projects, ensuring transparency through blockchain technology. Mmae's initiatives have increased farmer incomes by 300% and reduced post-harvest losses by 50%. In 2022, Farmcrowdy secured $15 million in Series B funding from investors including Y Combinator and 88MPartners.

Global Recognition

Mmae was named one of TIME's 100 Next Innovators in 2023 and received the African Business Leader Award at the 2022 Africa Commodity Forum. She advocates for youth inclusion in agriculture through her TEDx talk 'Growing the Future of African Farms'. Her work addresses food security challenges while creating pathways for tech-driven rural development. Farmcrowdy's expansion into Kenya and Ghana demonstrates the replicability of her model across the continent.