Releaf Africa

About Us

Releaf is a company specializing in supply chain technology, providing ingredients to African food factories. Our goal is to create climate-resilient supply chains to meet the needs of Africa’s growing population, which is projected to increase by 3 billion.

We are beginning by reducing the cost of vegetable oil and providing it to food factories in Nigeria.

Releaf offers extension services to smallholder farmers, acts as a buyer of their produce, and transforms the raw material into high-quality inputs for vegetable oil factories.

Along with its physical resources, Releaf makes use of digital technologies such as USSD and open banking, to effectively collaborate with its network of more than 2,000 smallholder farmers.

These farmers have delivered over 15 million kilograms of premium palm kernel nuts to food factories.

Releaf is backed by Y Combinator, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Consonance Investment Managers, Steve Pagliuca (Chairman of Bain Capital), Justin Kan (Co-founder of Twitch), and Iyin Aboyeji (Co-Founder of Flutterwave, Andela).

• Headquarters: Uyo, Nigeria
• Year Founded: 2017
• Employees: 51-200

Our Mission

Releaf Africa’s mission is to industrialize food processing in Africa and create shared prosperity. They aim to achieve this by:

• Improving food security across the continent.
• Rethinking Agriculture to create a more efficient system.
• Empowering Smallholder Farmers by increasing their income and productivity.
• Building a Successful Agritech Company that serves as a model for others.

Our Core Values

• Shared Prosperity: Our recurring theme, emphasizes that our success should benefit everyone involved, from farmers to consumers.
• Empowerment: We focus on empowering smallholder farmers through knowledge, financing, and market access.
• Technological Innovation: Our use of the Kraken machine and focus on digitizing agriculture showcase their commitment to innovation.
• Sustainability: Releaf’s focus on reducing post-harvest loss and potentially improving farming practices indicates a concern for environmental and economic sustainability.

Our Services

Releaf Africa offers a combination of services aimed at transforming food processing in Nigeria, specifically focusing on the palm oil sector. Here’s a breakdown of their services:

1. For Farmers:

• Tools and Techniques: They provide farmers with the knowledge and tools to cultivate high-quality oil palm efficiently, likely including training and potentially subsidized equipment.
• Financing: Releaf Africa offers financing options to farmers, which can help them cover operational costs and potentially invest in improving their farms.
• Guaranteed Market: By buying palm nuts directly from farmers, Releaf Africa ensures a reliable market for their produce.

2. For FMCGs (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods companies)

• Supply Chain Management: Releaf Africa acts as a reliable supplier of high-quality palm oil, ensuring consistent quality and quantity for manufacturers.
• Large-Scale, Timely Delivery: Their services likely include efficient logistics to deliver the processed palm oil to manufacturers promptly.

Overall, Releaf Africa acts as a bridge between smallholder farmers and FMCGs, addressing inefficiencies in the traditional palm oil processing system and aiming to benefit all parties involved.

Key Facts

• Nigeria is the largest producer of oil palm in Africa.
• Over four million smallholder farmers in Nigeria drive 80% of the production of oil palm in Nigeria’s fragmented market. 
• Releaf turned heads in 2021 when it raised $4.2 million in its seed round: $2.7 million from investors and  $1.5 million in grants.