SunCulture, a pioneer in solar-powered irrigation, has teamed up with Bridgin, a receivables financing platform under Masunga, to launch a $15 million facility that will expand access to climate-smart agriculture in Kenya. The initiative is designed to channel local-currency financing into solar irrigation solutions, addressing long-standing barriers in affordability and scalability for smallholder farmers. By combining innovative finance with technology-driven monitoring, the partners aim to strengthen rural resilience and improve livelihoods.
A First-of-Its-Kind Financing Structure
The facility will be managed through an off-balance sheet special purpose vehicle that ring-fences SunCulture’s farmer receivables and gives investors transparent monitoring of repayment performance. This model reduces risk for SunCulture, enabling it to reach more customers while freeing capital to reinvest in scale. Credit enhancements and the ability to accommodate blended finance further ensure the structure is both affordable and sustainable.
Scaling Proven Impact
SunCulture’s solar irrigation systems have already transformed farming outcomes for tens of thousands of smallholders, with yield increases of up to 300 percent and water savings of 80 percent through drip irrigation. Nearly 90 percent of customers report higher incomes, while 96 percent say their overall quality of life has improved, citing better water access and more time for income-generating work. With over 50,000 systems sold and $35 million in credit issued, the company has proven its model but still faces the challenge of scaling to millions of underserved farmers.
Designing for Affordability and Scale
The repayment terms of the new facility are directly tied to customer payments, easing capital management for SunCulture and aligning financing with farmers’ ability to pay. The long-term design reduces transaction costs and allows investors to diversify portfolios across different assets, improving efficiency and scalability. By attracting both private and catalytic investors, the model can unlock additional capital for new products and expansion.
A New Model for Emerging Markets
Financing innovation in emerging markets has often been constrained by high perceived risk, small ticket sizes, and limited transparency, but Bridgin’s technology aims to overcome these barriers. By integrating with SunCulture’s loan systems, the platform provides automated, real-time monitoring of receivable performance, offering investors both visibility and confidence. This structure is repeatable and cost-effective, opening the door for applications in clean energy, agri-tech, and mobility across other regions.
The launch of this $15 million facility marks a turning point for financing climate-smart agriculture in Kenya, combining SunCulture’s proven impact model with Bridgin’s scalable receivables platform. By directing capital to smallholder farmers while mitigating investor risk, the initiative creates a pathway for sustainable rural development. If successful, it could set a precedent for channeling impact-driven finance into underserved markets well beyond agriculture.