Overview
Emata is an Agri-fintech headquartered in Kampala, Uganda, specializing in climate-smart agricultural solutions for smallholder farmers. Emata is initially seeking to raise one or more SPVs totaling USD 20 million to provide affordable loans and weather-based insurance to smallholder farmers across East Africa, with an initial focus on Uganda. The vehicle offers loans farmers can use for climate-resilient investments like irrigation systems and improved agricultural inputs, leveraging an innovative tech-driven partnership model tailored to the needs of local agricultural companies and farmer cooperatives.
Problem
Smallholder farmers are among the most financially excluded groups in Africa, yet they are on the front lines of climate change. Season after season, they work relentlessly to feed their communities, but without access to affordable financing, even the most innovative farmers struggle to invest in climate-resilient solutions like irrigation or improved seeds. Each bout of unpredictable weather threatens not just their crops, but their families’ futures—locking them in a cycle of uncertainty. These farmers have the knowledge and determination to adapt, but until financial barriers are broken, their resilience remains just out of reach.
Solution
Emata is transforming how smallholder farmers access the financing they need to grow and adapt. Since 2021, the Ugandan fintech has been offering digital financial products to smallholder farmers to promote growth and climate resilience. The platform offers loans for climate-smart investments—such as irrigation systems and improved inputs—alongside weather-based insurance introduced in 2023. Through its automated system, Emata delivers timely, seasonally-aligned financing to help farmers adapt to increasingly unpredictable planting conditions. So far, Emata has disbursed USD 2 million in loans to 7,300 Ugandan farmers and achieved a 94% repayment rate. With CC Facility’s support, Emata plans to scale across East Africa, expand its multi-currency lending capabilities, and establish a dedicated fund to attract a broader mix of investors—enabling more farmers to adopt sustainable practices and build long-term climate and economic resilience.
CC Facility Support
Support from the CC Facility is pivotal for Emata to scale its climate-smart lending model across East Africa. The funding will enable Emata to establish a robust, multi-country fund structure capable of handling multi-currency lending and attracting a blend of concessional and commercial capital. Hence, the CC Facility will support Emata in refining its vehicle’s structure, financial modeling, and refining its impact framework. Additionally, support for go-to-market strategy and gender strategy development will enable Emata to grow its fund from USD 1.6 million to USD 20 million by 2028, ultimately accelerating financial inclusion and climate resilience for thousands of smallholder farmers across the region.
Website
Emata - https://www.emata.ug/
