KIGALI, Rwanda — September 2026: Ugandan artificial intelligence startup SANDI AI Technologies has won the 2026 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize, earning US$50,000 (approximately UGX 190 million) in growth funding for its innovative approach to expanding access to finance for smallholder farmers.
Founded by Ugandan entrepreneur Nabakka Sandra, SANDI AI received the top prize during the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum) 2026 Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, which brought together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and other stakeholders seeking solutions to Africa’s food and agricultural challenges.
The award recognises SANDI AI’s development of an artificial intelligence-powered solution designed to connect rural farmers with collateral-free financial loans, tackling one of the most persistent obstacles facing smallholder farmers: limited access to affordable and flexible capital.
The US$50,000 prize will support the company’s continued technology development, market expansion and efforts to reach more farming communities with inclusive financial solutions.
For Sandra, the recognition is more than a business milestone. It is validation of a vision to use technology to respond to the realities of millions of African farmers who remain underserved by conventional financial systems.
“Farmers should not be limited by systems that were not designed around their realities,” Sandra said. “Technology gives us an opportunity to understand farmers better, recognise their potential, and create pathways that allow them to access the resources they need to grow.”
Using AI to Transform Agricultural Finance
Agriculture remains central to Africa’s economy, supporting millions of livelihoods and playing a critical role in food security and economic development. Yet access to finance continues to constrain the ability of many smallholder farmers to expand their businesses.
Farmers often struggle to secure conventional loans because they lack requirements such as formal employment records, fixed assets or traditional collateral. As a result, many remain unable to obtain the capital needed to purchase inputs, increase production or respond to emerging market opportunities.
SANDI AI is seeking to close this gap by applying artificial intelligence to agricultural finance.
Its technology is designed to provide smarter ways of understanding farmers, assessing their needs and improving their access to financial opportunities. By combining AI with agricultural insights, the startup is developing an alternative approach that seeks to move beyond conventional lending models and create more inclusive pathways to finance.
The company’s philosophy is built around looking beyond what farmers lack and identifying their productivity, potential and economic opportunity.
The approach reflects a wider shift across Africa, where technology startups are increasingly deploying artificial intelligence not only for automation, but also to improve decision-making, expand access to services and unlock opportunities for underserved communities.
A Founder Driven by African Challenges
Sandra’s journey reflects the emergence of a new generation of African entrepreneurs developing solutions around challenges affecting their communities.
With a background in artificial intelligence and sustainable development, she has focused on applying emerging technologies to practical problems with the potential to improve livelihoods.
Her work is based on the belief that some of Africa’s most impactful innovations will come from entrepreneurs who understand local challenges and develop solutions specifically suited to African markets.
For Sandra, AI is not simply about sophisticated technology. It is a tool for creating practical solutions that improve livelihoods and expand access to opportunity.
Agriculture became a natural area of focus because of the central role farmers play in sustaining communities and economies, despite the financial barriers that continue to limit their growth.
At the heart of SANDI AI is a simple but consequential question: How can technology help farmers access opportunities that have traditionally remained out of reach?
The startup’s answer combines artificial intelligence, agriculture and financial inclusion in an effort to create financing solutions designed around the realities of African farmers.
Ugandan Innovation Takes Centre Stage in Kigali
SANDI AI received the award at the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026 Summit, a major continental gathering focused on transforming agriculture and strengthening Africa’s food systems.
The summit convened leaders from government, the private sector, investment, agriculture and technology to explore ways of building resilient food systems, creating jobs and improving livelihoods.
SANDI AI competed against innovative agrifood businesses from across Africa in the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize competition before emerging as the overall winner in the female-led venture category.
The competition celebrates young African entrepreneurs building commercially viable businesses that address challenges in agriculture, food production, sustainability and rural development.
For Uganda, the victory is a significant achievement for the country’s growing startup ecosystem and demonstrates the potential of homegrown technology companies to develop solutions capable of competing on a continental stage.
Why AI and Agritech Are Attracting Attention
The convergence of agriculture, artificial intelligence and financial technology is emerging as a significant area of opportunity in Africa.
Millions of farmers need better access to capital, while financial institutions require more effective ways of understanding agricultural risk. Governments and development organisations, meanwhile, are seeking scalable solutions to strengthen food security and rural economies.
Technology-driven startups are increasingly positioned to bridge these gaps.
By combining AI with an understanding of agricultural realities, companies such as SANDI AI are demonstrating how innovation can create both commercial opportunities and broader social impact.
The US$50,000 prize therefore offers SANDI AI more than capital. It provides increased visibility and credibility, while potentially opening doors to investors, strategic partners and other players within Africa’s agricultural and technology ecosystem.
From Uganda to Africa’s Agricultural Future
For SANDI AI, the GoGettaz victory marks the beginning of a broader growth journey rather than its conclusion.
The startup intends to use the funding to strengthen its technology, expand its reach and support more farmers with smarter and more accessible financial solutions.
Sandra believes Africa’s agricultural future depends on empowering the farmers who already sustain the continent’s food systems.
“Farmers deserve financial systems designed around their realities,” she said. “Our ambition is to make access to finance smarter, fairer and more inclusive.”
As Africa pursues more resilient and sustainable food systems, SANDI AI’s success highlights the growing potential of technology to transform agriculture while expanding economic opportunity.
The Ugandan startup’s continental recognition is also a reminder that some of Africa’s most promising innovations are emerging from entrepreneurs solving challenges close to home—using technology not merely to build businesses, but to create new possibilities for communities that have historically been underserved.
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