MazaoHub Raises $2M to Scale AI-Driven Farming in Tanzania

Geophrey Tenganamba (CEO) and Adelard Josephat Urassa (CTO), MazaoHub Co-Founders

Tanzanian agritech startup MazaoHub has raised an oversubscribed $2M pre-seed round to scale its hybrid model of AI-powered soil intelligence and in-person farmer support centres.

The investment combines $1.5M in equity led by Catalyst Fund, with participation from Nordic Impact Fund, Mercy Corps Ventures, elea Foundation, Impacc, and DOB Equity. An additional $500k in non-dilutive capital came from the Livelihood Impact Fund, signalling a strong investor appetite for blended finance models that tackle climate adaptation.

MazaoHub aims to solve a dual problem for Africa’s smallholder farmers: the lack of data to make informed decisions and the absence of trusted support to implement climate-smart practices. The company is betting that the solution isn’t just more tech, but the right blend of digital tools and human expertise.

The ‘Tech and Touch’ Model

MazaoHub operates a hybrid model it calls “Tech and Touch.” It combines proprietary low-cost soil sensors, portable soil testing kits, and an AI-powered, offline-first farm management platform. This provides farmers with crop dashboards and cost analysis tools, even in areas with poor connectivity.

The “touch” component comes from its network of Farmer Excellence Centers — which the company describes as “agricultural clinics.” These are upgraded rural agribusinesses staffed by professional agronomists who use the platform’s data to provide tailored, in-person advice to farmers.

The model is designed to create a virtuous cycle:

• Data-driven farming: Farmers receive precise recommendations on fertiliser use, irrigation, and organic manure. MazaoHub claims this can reduce fertiliser use by up to 30% and increase organic manure adoption fivefold.
• Market access: At the end of the season, the startup connects farmers to buyers through its sourcing platform, CropSupply.com, which provides full traceability from soil data to shipment — a holy grail for corporate buyers concerned with supply chain transparency.

“Farmers become data-driven decision-makers, buyers gain trusted traceability, and agribusinesses operate as climate-smart franchises,” says Geophrey Tenganamba, CEO and Co-Founder of MazaoHub. “This is where sustainability meets scale.”

Source: Launch Base Africa