Seedloans helps female farmers through collateral-free seed and farming input loans

Challenge

Undernourishment: 41% of the Ugandan population are undernourished

Low agricultural productivity: 98% of farmers cannot afford enough seeds to plant their available space due to low income and price volatility

Solution

Seeds and complimentary agricultural inputs as a collateral-free loan in kind to female farmers to boost sustainable cultivation and achieve food security.

The founding team is german-ugandan and operate in Uganda.

Achievements

Winner of Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge 2021
Impact Cube secured two direct tickets to the global finals for our best teams. Seedloans was one of them, and ended up winning the 22 000$ non-equity cash prize.

“We, as a team Seedloans, felt honored to be one of two Impact Cube teams at the Fowler finals. Without the continuous support of Impact Cube, and especially the mentorship, our pitch would not have come together this well. The 1st place is both a Seedloans and Impact Cube accomplishment.”

– Merlin Stein, CEO at Seedloans

“It has been a rewarding and inspirational experience to advise and support Seedloans to optimize and streamline its social business model. I have met a highly committed, focused, and innovative team of individuals who want to make a difference in the planet and leave a meaningful impact on other people’s lives. It is remarkable the progress they have achieved over the last seasons and the number of female smallholder farmers they are serving. This is a great example of how an innovative solution that has emerged during the pandemic can respond to a social problem”

– Sebastian Soneyra, Impact Cube mentor for Seedloans