Investment Innovation Fund

The HortInvest project set up an investment and innovation fund (IIF) with five million Euros to mobilize private sector investment; and, promote innovations in production and marketing of horticultural produce through a result-based financing model.

The IIF targets both start-up and non-start-up companies and/or cooperatives for business cases and innovation projects. Business cases are business ideas that are tested, implemented and mature to be scaled up to another level; and innovation projects are new ideas that are tested and proven viable but at a design level.

Business cases and innovation projects are funded to a maximum of three hundred and fifty thousand euro respectively including 50% of the funded company’s own contribution. The company’s contribution increases ownership.

The IIF seeks to increase farmers’ income by addressing two challenges of post-harvest losses and market. Funded companies and/or cooperatives are involved in the whole horticulture value chain including production, processing, and logistics. They capacitate farmers in their respective area of operations which results in a horticulture produce increase. This increase is subsequently channelled to market leading to less post-harvest and high income. With a 5 million euros co-fund, the HortInvest project expects that it will have raised the horticulture sector to 15.5 million euro at the end of the project. The project funded 11 and 9 companies and / or cooperatives in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

The Investment and Innovation Fund (IIF) is an important instrument of HortInvest to attract private sector investment and promote innovations in the production and marketing. HortInvest works with private companies, to develop business cases that support farmers to overcome the challenges they face to access markets, increase production, improve food safety, and reduce post-harvest losses. HortInvest leverages private sector investments, co-investing up to 50% of the necessary costs in those business cases. It also supports innovation projects that in time could result in new business cases that support inclusive horticulture sector development in Rwanda. HortInvest Project has so far supported 19 agribusiness companies.

BUSINESS CASES BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Mushroom Against Malnutrition From KIGALI FARMS Company
Kigali Farms is an enterprise that addresses malnutrition in smallholder communities through business means. Their business case with HortInvest focuses on generating village-level income and addressing malnutrition in the Ubudehe 1 and 2 population through the cultivation of oyster mushrooms.The objective is to set up about 2,400 growers, bringing high-quality nutrition to about 70,000 mostly malnourished consumers in 5 districts namely Nyabihu, Rubavu, Ngororero, Rutsiro and Karongi.

KUMWE FREIGHT Company
Kumwe Freight Ltd provides third party logistics (3PL) services with a particular focus in the agriculture sector. In addition, Kumwe has developed innovations in post-harvest handling that are transforming Rwanda’s maize sector. Their innovation business case with HortInvest aims at using Kumwe’s existing expertise as a tech-enabled Rwandan third party logistics(3PL) to test investment in cold- chain infrastructure to the detriment of the development of horticulture sector.In doing so, Kumwe will drive high utilization and therefore make their use economical and in-reach of producers. In turn, the producers will reduce losses and achieve the higher market prices to incentivize and enable greater growth. For more details about Kumwe. Read More

AGASARO ORGANIC Company
AGASARO ORGANIC Ltd is organic Pineapple Production and Processing Factory located in Musanze District. Their business case with HortInvest focuses on improving the current output capacity of pineapple biscuit and juice processing machine; enhance a single user packaging and branding at international standards to facilitate export; facilitate and empower pineapple farmers through participation in pineapple production and add value to the pineapple plantations. Read More

EZA NEZA Company
Eza Neza was founded by a group of young Rwandan entrepreneurs with an ICT background who aims at bringing technological innovations in the Rwandan agriculture. Their innovation business case with HortInvest focuses at developing one of the most efficient hydroponic greenhouses in Rwanda and grow fruits and vegetables as well as serve as a learning centre for agricultural innovations.

DMM.HEHE Company
DMM.HeHe was founded in 2010 by a group of college students in Rwanda after graduating from a Massachusetts Institute of Technology incubation program. DMM.HEHE focuses on building mobile-first geolocation technologies with the vision to usher Africa into the knowledge economy by building context appropriate technology solutions for the continent.
Their innovation business case with HortInvest focuses on bridging the gap between farmers(producers) and the final market(consumers/buyers) through digitization of the entire value chain from the first to the last mile. Therefore, matching demand and supply to eliminate post-harvest loss and bring about market efficiencies and greater profitability to farmers across the 6 districts of operation and Rwanda in general. Read More

IABM Company
IABM which stands for Iterambere ry’ Abahinzi Borozi ba Makera is a cooperative located in Muhanga district which focuses on multiplying maize seeds, processes maize into flour and animal feeds and producing vegetables.
Their business case with HortInvest aims at increasing productivity, reducing post-harvest loss, and improving the quality of vegetables.The main activities include the construction of the washing station and cold room for storing vegetables while waiting to supply them to market; capacity building for IABM members (764) and potentials non-members (1011) who supply produce to IABM, improve the quality of vegetables and access the market.

RIJK ZWAAN Company
Rijk Zwaan is a Dutch company specialized in plant breeding and introduction of new vegetable varieties in many countries. In Rwanda, Rijk Zwaan in collaboration with Holland GreenTech facilitate quality production with special varieties and seeds that have strong resistances and tolerance to achieve a consistently high-quality produce.Their business case with HortInvest therefore aims at developing 30 demonstration sites within HortInvest districts( Nyabihu, Rubavu, Ngororero, Rutsiro, Muhanga and Karongi) of different varieties and train lead farmers and cooperatives on GAP including soil management, seeds and seedlings, irrigation, pest control, farming techniques, post-harvest, business administration, marketing, and sales. Read More

VIAMO Company
Viamo is a social enterprise that provides a complete solution for mobile engagement. They have built the most comprehensive Voice, SMS and USSD mobile engagement platform in the world and have worked with more than 550 organizations in 37 countries to reach over 3,000,000 individuals. Their innovation business case with HortInvest aims at using interactive audio on mobile phones to improve productivity and livelihoods for horticulture farmers by increasing awareness of best practices, improve access to market information and nutritional diversity of farmers’ families. Read More

SOLYNTA Company
Solynta is a potato seed breeding company with headquarters in the Netherlands , has developed a non-GMO technology for the targeted breeding of potatoes. Solynta’s technology has made innovation of the potato possible thanks to predictable and stable genetic outcomes. Their business case with HortInvest aims to support sustainable and inclusive growth of the Rwandan potato sector through the introduction of a new technology “Solynta hybrid potato seeds. Read More

COOPEDUSH Company

COOPEDUSH which stands for Cooperative Dushishe is based in Rubengera sector, Karongi district. This cooperative focuses on promoting horticulture by growing and processing passion fruit, strawberry.

Their business case with HortInvest aims at increasing production(passion fruit and strawberry) and number of beneficiaries from 200 to 1,200 through organised farmer field school(FFS) ; decrease of post-harvest losses up 90% during the project period as well increasing processing capacity of squash juice from 120 boxes to 250 boxes and diabetic tolerant juice .

ENVIROM HOLDING AFRICA Company
Envirom Holding Africa Limited is a Rwandan subsidiary company of ENVIROM GREEN based in Norway. It focuses on manufacturing and distributing organic fertilizers (CBX) to farmers’ cooperatives. Their business case with HortInvest aims at improving Irish potato for increased food security and income in three HortInvest District namely Nyabihu, Rubavu and Ngororero through capacity building on the use of organic fertilisers produced and distributed by Envirom. Read More

NEZERWA PLUS Company
Nezerwa Plus is a company located in Muhanga district, Southern Province that focuses on fruits and vegetables processing. Their innovation business case with HortInvest focuses on addressing the gaps related to low farmers’ capacities in the production of fruits and vegetables and limited markets and increasing farmers’ income. Read More

ZONE DES ENTREPRISES AGRICOLE (ZEAN Ltd)
Zone des Entreprises Agricole (ZEAN ltd) is company composed of young professional traders of agriculture products including but not limited to maize and banana. ZEAN devotes its effort on post-harvest activities through processing and crop trading. Their business case with HortInvest aims at processing banana into chips, reducing post-harvest loss and increasing farmer’s income in Nyabihu District.

PRIDE FARMS Company
Pride Farms ltd. is a privately-owned farm management company spearheading market-driven agriculture in Rwanda by using professional farm management and innovative technology to produce high value produce for regional and international markets. Their innovation business case with HortInvest focuses on training and hiring professional youth farm managers , strengthening and expanding access to output markets through improved post-harvest processing and IT logistical management as well as capacity building of small-holder farmers through technology and professional management strategies. Read More