KIGALI, Rwanda : A Ugandan technology startup is gaining continental recognition after winning the top prize at the 2026 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize for developing an artificial intelligence-powered solution aimed at helping smallholder farmers overcome one of agriculture’s biggest challenges: access to finance.
SANDI AI Technologies, founded by Ugandan entrepreneur Sandra Nabakka , emerged as the Grand Prize Winner at the competition, taking home US$50,000, approximately Shs190 million, in growth funding.
The award was presented during the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026 Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, which brought together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and agricultural leaders from across the continent to discuss ways of transforming Africa’s food systems.
SANDI AI was recognised for its work in using artificial intelligence to connect farmers to collateral-free financial opportunities, targeting millions of smallholder farmers who often struggle to secure loans through conventional financial institutions.
The startup’s victory places Uganda among the countries producing technology-driven agricultural solutions capable of competing and attracting attention on the continental stage.
For Nabakka, the award is a major endorsement of an idea built around a simple challenge facing farmers across Africa: how to make financial services work for people whose livelihoods and businesses do not fit traditional lending models.
“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.
Agriculture remains central to Africa’s economies and supports millions of households, yet access to capital continues to constrain the growth of smallholder farming businesses.
Many farmers lack formal employment records, fixed assets or conventional collateral required by financial institutions. As a result, even farmers with productive land, farming experience and ready markets can struggle to obtain the money needed to buy inputs, increase production or expand their enterprises.
SANDI AI is seeking to change that equation by applying artificial intelligence to the agricultural financing process.
Its technology is designed to generate a more informed understanding of farmers and their circumstances, with the aim of creating better pathways to financial services while reducing some of the barriers associated with conventional lending.
The approach places technology at the centre of efforts to bridge the gap between farmers in rural communities and financial institutions seeking better ways to identify and manage agricultural lending opportunities.
For Nabakka, artificial intelligence is therefore not merely a tool for automation, but a means of creating practical opportunities for people who have traditionally been underserved by formal systems.
Her journey also reflects the growing number of African entrepreneurs developing technology around challenges within their own communities.
With a background in artificial intelligence and sustainable development, Sandra has focused on applying emerging technologies to problems affecting African communities. Agriculture became a key area of interest because of its economic importance and the persistent financial barriers facing farmers.
The GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize victory now gives SANDI AI an opportunity to accelerate that work.
The US$50,000 prize is expected to support the startup’s technology development, expansion into new markets and efforts to reach more farming communities with inclusive financial solutions.
Beyond the cash award, the recognition gives the company greater visibility among investors, development partners, agricultural organisations and other players in Africa’s growing agritech ecosystem.
SANDI AI’s success comes at a time when the intersection of artificial intelligence, financial technology and agriculture is attracting increasing attention across Africa.
The continent has millions of farmers in need of affordable capital, while financial institutions continue to grapple with the challenge of assessing agricultural borrowers and managing lending risks.
Technology companies are increasingly attempting to bridge that gap by developing tools that can generate better information, improve decision-making and expand financial inclusion.
The GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize is designed to recognise young African entrepreneurs developing commercially viable businesses that address challenges in agriculture, food production, sustainability and rural development.
SANDI AI’s victory at the 2026 competition therefore represents more than an individual business milestone. It highlights the growing potential of Ugandan startups to develop locally grounded solutions with relevance beyond the country’s borders.
For Nabakka, however, the prize is only a starting point.
The company intends to use the funding and continental exposure to strengthen its technology, expand its reach and help more farmers gain access to financial opportunities.
“Our ambition is to make access to finance smarter, fairer, and more inclusive,” Sandra said.
As African countries search for ways to increase agricultural productivity, strengthen food security and create economic opportunities for rural communities, SANDI AI’s emergence offers a glimpse of how artificial intelligence could become part of that transformation.
From Uganda to the wider African market, the startup is betting that giving farmers better access to finance can help unlock the productivity and potential that already exists within the continent’s agricultural communities.
