Irri Hub Ke - Impacc gGmBH

Investing in Impact

P4G has awarded the partnership with about US $350,000 in grant funding. 

Approximately 98% of Kenya’s agriculture is rainfed. Farmers in the country don’t have easy access to information on soil composition, weather patterns and quality seed sourcing. They also don’t have access to customized and affordable irrigation solutions that could increase their productivity. In addition, they work through multiple intermediaries to sell their produce resulting in them receiving lower prices for their crops. 

Irri Hub Ke is a Kenyan agribusiness which bundles stand alone irrigation solutions into one complete and customized package that includes training and access to markets to help smallholders in Kenya realize higher yields and higher prices for their products. 

The startup uses existing third-party solutions to build an end-to-end irrigation solution that includes dam liners, solar powered irrigation systems and drip kits. It has created a “farmer starter pack” that combines an affordable rainwater harvesting system with solar-powered irrigation and support services that help farmers reduce water usage by 90 percent while growing three times more food. It aims to expand its services to offer data driven technology such as sensors for the drip kits to provide farmers with greater production efficiency. Its revenue model comprises mark-ups on third party components and subscription fees for maintenance, data and advisory support. 

Irri Hub Ke has worked with 3,000 farmers to date and has helped increase their revenue by 33%. It has saved 200 million cubic liters of water and increased yields by 40 percent. It plans to expand its reach into Uganda and Tanzania in the future. 

As part of its capacity building efforts, Irri Hub Ke established two demonstration farms in Kajiado and Kisumu counties to serve as practical learning hubs. The startup created a series of custom training modules on climate-smart irrigation practices based on a needs analysis, and has trained almost 350 farmers across five counties. 

Irri Hub Ke is directly aligned with Kenya’s roadmap for expanding and optimizing the adoption of irrigation systems to enhance food security. The startup is identifying areas where it can provide feedback and practical insights to the government on these issues. It convened a workshop with other critical stakeholders in this space to outline a clear plan for increasing government investments in the sector. 

Impacc gGmBH is a nonprofit with deep venture building experience. It provides Irri Hub Ke with financial, technical and operational support to help scale the startup. It also provides access to international consultants and experts in the sector. 

Impacc has been systematically building Irri Hub Ke’s leadership capacity through professional coaching sessions on management, financial reporting and operations. To strengthen Irri Hub Ke’s investment readiness, Impacc conducted a practical financial training program that helped the startup streamline its internal financial systems and establish solid financial projections. 

The nonprofit venture builder also arranged an “Entrepreneurs’ Trip” where it facilitated pitching opportunities between Irri Hub Ke’s CEO and investors. Impacc arranged field visits for investors to see production sites. A top lesson learned has been the value of inviting investors to visit sites in person and to meet the team and customers in the field. The success of this approach has led to more such investor field trips being planned for 2025. 

Impacc also worked with a professional agency to create a new series of promotional materials for Irri Hub Ke. These materials are currently being distributed in Germany to attract European donors. 

During the partnership period, the use of Irri Hub Ke products will avoid about 75,000 metric tons of carbon emissions. The partnership will help create 200 new jobs, support 500 farmers to acquire its products and services and benefit about 1,500 people (directly and indirectly) through its climate solution. 

The partnership comprises the following partners: Irri Hub Ke (lead business partner); Impacc gGmBH (lead administrative partner).