Desmond Koney, an alum of the Ghana Climate Innovation Center’s Cohort 2 has recently accomplished a significant milestone. His venture, Complete Farmer, secured a noteworthy pre-Series A funding round totaling US$10.4 million, earmarked to fuel the expansion endeavors of Complete Farmer, furthering its mission to revolutionize the agricultural sector.
Complete Farmer is an end-to-end digital, agricultural marketplace that connects African farmers and global industries to competitive markets, resources, data, and each other on a single platform. The Complete Farmer’s technology platform is a comprehensive one-stop resource that leverages proprietary cultivation protocols for crop production, enabling smallholder and commercial farmers to cultivate commodities that conform to global market specifications, thereby ensuring post-harvest offtake. For as little as 500 USD/acre, anyone with an internet connection can grow crops for any business on the platform and for a return on investment.
Desmond, with mechanical engineering background, set off on his entrepreneurial journey in production engineering, by building a prototype for a biodigester whilst incubating with the GCIC. Whilst managing his father’s farm and being exposed to the frustrations of small holder farmers, he pivoted into digitalizing the farm. He identified a need to digitize the value chain for farmers to connect demand and supply sides to make production and the value chain more efficient.
Giving a keynote address at the re launch of the GCIC’s Climate Innovation Enterprise Network of Ghana, Desmond gave valuable insights into how important it is to identify what you do best to be able to keep assessing and adjusting one’s business model. He contradicted conventional opinions, saying that; “Capital is the least essential element of scaling up. The key lies in having the right market fit, timing, and leveraging your own individual talent for capital.”
To wrap up his submissions, he stated, “I am inspired by the collective potential of young individuals who contribute their ideas, regardless of scale. I firmly believe that these collaborative efforts will lead to substantial progress, ultimately driving the African continent forward.”
