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- Kenyan Agritech startup Rhea has raised US$100,000 from Obudu Capital to support its expansion into Tanzania.
- The funding will help Rhea commercialise its RHEA AgriPad, a portable soil-testing device designed to provide farmers with soil data and fertiliser recommendations.
- Rhea plans to deploy 100 AgriPads and reach 5,000 farmers as part of its next phase of growth.
- The Tanzania expansion will be Rhea’s first major move beyond Kenya, testing whether its soil-intelligence technology can scale across East African agricultural markets.
Kenyan Agritech startup Rhea Soil Health Management is preparing to take its portable soil-testing technology into Tanzania after securing US$100,000 from Obudu Capital, with the investment tied to plans to commercialise its flagship product and reach 5,000 farmers.
The funding, structured as a convertible note, will support the deployment of 100 RHEA AgriPads, the onboarding of 5,000 farmers and Rhea’s expansion beyond Kenya, according to details reported on the investment.
Founded in 2022 by Priscilla Wakarera and Soinato Leboo, Rhea developed the RHEA AgriPad, a portable soil-testing device that combines sensors, software and machine learning to generate field-level soil data and support fertiliser recommendations.
The startup’s approach is designed to move soil testing closer to farms, reducing farmers’ reliance on conventional laboratory testing, which can require samples to be collected, transported and processed before results are returned. Rhea’s system is intended to turn soil measurements into information farmers can use when making decisions about fertiliser and soil management.
The new funding comes as Rhea moves from developing its technology towards wider commercial deployment.
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The company has already trained 135 agronomist agents across Kenya and introduced supporting digital tools, including the Rhea Agent App for field operations and Rhea Optima, which is aimed at medium and large-scale farms, agronomists and laboratories.
Tanzania will provide Rhea with its first major test outside Kenya as the startup seeks to determine whether its soil-intelligence model can operate across different agricultural markets.
Beyond soil testing, Rhea is building a database of farm-level soil information that it says could eventually support agricultural finance, insurance and other services requiring reliable farm data. However, those applications remain potential uses rather than established outcomes of the technology.
The immediate test for Rhea is more concrete: commercialise the AgriPad, deploy 100 devices, reach 5,000 farmers and establish its presence in Tanzania.
How effectively the startup meets those targets will show whether its soil-intelligence technology can move from an emerging product into a scalable Agritech business across East Africa.
