Kenyan agritech company Synnefa has received a major boost in its bid to reduce post-harvest losses and strengthen climate resilience for smallholder farmers after securing new funding and technical support.
The boost comes from two international climate innovation platforms, Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) and Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G).
The support follows a successful pilot of Synnefa’s smart solar dryer technology funded by the Efficiency for Access programme, and positions the company for rapid scale-up across Kenya and the wider East African region.
According to Synnefa CEO, Taita Ngetich, the new backing will help deliver its next phase of expansion, targeting thousands of farmers whose produce often goes to waste due to inefficient traditional drying methods.
Ngetich describes the support as a significant step in accelerating local innovation and growing green solutions that respond directly to climate stresses affecting agriculture.
“Across Africa, farmers lose an estimated 30–50 per cent of their produce after harvest, mainly due to poor handling, unpredictable weather, and lack of affordable drying technologies. Synnefa’s Smart Solar Dryer is designed to address exactly this challenge,” says Mr Ngetich.
The dryer combines solar-powered greenhouse structures with built-in Internet of Things (IoT) sensors that monitor temperature, humidity, and airflow. This creates a controlled environment where farmers can dry fruits, vegetables, cereals, herbs, coffee and other crops in two to three days, instead of the weeks often required under the sun.
Synnefa’s early trials show a 45 per cent reduction in post-harvest losses, improved product quality, and better prices for farmers.
“The innovation”, says Mr Ngetich, “provides a dependable drying process even in changing weather, a critical need at a time when climate change is making traditional open-sun drying increasingly unreliable.
Under funding arrangement, Synnefa will receive grant funding and technical support from both PREO and P4G.
PREO, funded by the UK’s Transforming Energy Access platform and implemented by the Carbon Trust and Energy 4 Impact, selected Synnefa among 22 African companies awarded financing to expand renewable-energy-driven business models.
P4G, working through a partnership involving agribusiness organisation Solidaridad, is providing additional financial support and advisory services aimed at strengthening Synnefa’s commercial model and investor readiness.
Synnefa says this combination of funding and technical backing will help it scale to more than 15,000 farmers in the first phase of expansion.
“The company’s strategy includes rolling out dryers to cooperatives, youth groups, and small rural enterprises, many of which lack the capital to invest in post-harvest technologies,” says the CEO.
To ensure broad access, Synnefa uses a rent-to-own model allowing farmer groups to pay gradually until they gain full ownership of the dryers.
In addition, the company offers a “Dry-as-a-Service” option targeting young entrepreneurs who want to operate crop-drying businesses without the upfront cost of purchasing equipment.
“These models support job creation along rural value chains while enabling farmers to process larger volumes, improve produce quality, and reduce the burden of unpredictable drying times caused by erratic rainfall and rising temperatures,” says Mr Ngetich.
P4G’s Executive Director, Robyn McGuckin, said the organisation sees Synnefa as part of a new wave of African enterprises using innovation to build climate-smart food systems.
The environmental benefits of the dryers lie not only in their solar-powered operation but also in their potential to reduce emissions linked to food waste. When crops rot or ferment because farmers cannot dry them on time, they emit greenhouse gases such as methane, a powerful contributor to global warming.
“By cutting food losses and replacing inefficient open-sun drying with controlled solar technology, Synnefa’s solution contributes to both climate adaptation and mitigation. Farmers also gain resilience against weather disruptions, one of the biggest risks in a warming world,” Mr Ngetich says
He sais that Synnefa now plans to expand the reach of its dryers across Kenya and into neighbouring countries as it prepares for a larger seed funding round.
Its long-term ambition is to scale to 150,000 farmers across East Africa, a move the company projects could prevent tens of thousands of tonnes of food waste, create green jobs, and strengthen rural economies.
