KisanKonnect Raises $3.7 Mn To Boost Its Climate-Smart Agriculture Playbook

SUMMARY

The funds will be used to increase its activities in climate-smart agriculture interventions with its 5,000 farmers, strengthen its fresh-produce supply chain technology and add new farm stores to the existing ones in Mumbai and Pune.

Kisankonnect sources food directly from its network of farmers through its village-level collection centres, and with no interference from the middlemen, delivers the produce to the consumers.

It claims to have a base of more than 1 Lakh customers to whom it sells the products through its own D2C App and Farm-stores.

Mumbai-based omnichannel farm-to-fork startup Kisankonnect has raised INR 31 Cr (around $3.7 Mn) as a part of its pre-Series A funding round led by Green Frontier Capital.

The round also saw participation from Dhanuka Agritech Limited, along with VC Grid and other family offices.

The startup plans to use the fresh capital to increase its activities in climate-smart agriculture interventions with its 5,000 farmers, strengthen its fresh-produce supply chain technology and add new farm stores to the existing ones in Mumbai and Pune.

Founded in 2020 by Vivek Nirmal and Nidhi Nirmal, KisanKonnect sources food directly from its network of farmers through its village-level collection centres, and with no interference from the middlemen, delivers the produce to the consumers.

It claims to have a base of more than 1 Lakh customers to whom it sells the products through its own D2C App and farm-stores.

In addition to the agricultural produce, it also offers preservative-free snacks under its ‘Village Staples’ and ‘Mom’s Kitchen’ categories.

According to the startup, these are produced exclusively by rural women in centralised kitchens.

Nirmal said that the startup’s tech-enabled temperature controlled and traceable supply chain helps the farmers to offer fresh produce to the consumers in Mumbai and Pune in the shortest possible time.

“The wastages are reduced significantly which ensures fair prices for farmers and consumers both, while helping reduce carbon emissions in the Agri supply-chain,” he added.

Last year, the startup secured an undisclosed amount of investment from actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra.

Back then Kisankonnect claimed that it manages 1.75 Lakh acres of cultivated land, and offers a wide range of more than 200 types of vegetables and 100 types of fruits online. It also claimed to be delivering approximately 1.5 Lakh boxes of vegetables and fruits per month.

According to Inc42’s analysis, the Indian agritech startups have secured over $2.4 Bn since 2014.