Ugandan artificial intelligence startup SANDI AI Technologies has secured a major milestone after emerging as the Grand Prize Winner of the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize 2026, receiving US$50,000 (about UGX 190,000,000) in growth funding for its innovative approach to improving access to finance for farmers across Africa.
Founded by Ugandan entrepreneur Nabakka Sandra, SANDI AI was awarded the top honour during the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum) 2026 Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, where leading entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and agricultural stakeholders gathered to explore solutions for transforming Africa’s food systems.
The award recognises SANDI AI’s development of an artificial intelligence-powered solution designed to connect rural farmers with security-free financial loans, addressing one of the most persistent challenges facing smallholder farmers across the continent: limited access to affordable and flexible financing.
The US$50,000 prize will support SANDI AI’s continued technology development, market expansion, and efforts to reach more farming communities with inclusive financial solutions. The recognition places the Ugandan startup among a growing number of African ventures using technology to solve fundamental challenges in agriculture, financial inclusion, and economic development.
For Sandra, the achievement represents more than an award — it is validation of a vision to build technology that responds to the realities of millions of African farmers who remain underserved by traditional financial systems.
“Farmers should not be limited by systems that were not designed around their realities,” Sandra says. “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.”
Using Artificial Intelligence to Rethink Agricultural Finance
Agriculture remains one of Africa’s most important economic sectors, supporting millions of livelihoods and contributing significantly to food security and economic growth. However, one of the biggest barriers preventing farmers from scaling their businesses remains access to finance.
Many smallholder farmers struggle to secure loans because they lack conventional requirements such as formal employment records, fixed assets, or traditional collateral. Despite having productive land, farming experience, and market opportunities, many are unable to access the capital required to purchase inputs, increase production, or expand their operations.
SANDI AI is working to address this gap by applying artificial intelligence to agricultural finance.
The startup’s technology seeks to create smarter ways of understanding farmers, assessing their needs, and improving access to financial opportunities. By combining AI with agricultural insights, SANDI AI is developing a model that moves beyond traditional lending approaches and creates more inclusive pathways for rural communities.
Rather than seeing farmers only through the limitations of existing financial systems, the company is focused on building tools that identify opportunity, productivity, and potential.
This approach reflects a broader transformation taking place across Africa, where startups are increasingly using artificial intelligence not only for automation, but as a tool to expand access, improve decision-making, and unlock opportunities for communities that have historically been excluded.
A Founder’s Journey Built Around African Challenges
Sandra’s journey represents the rise of a new generation of African founders building solutions around challenges they understand firsthand.
With a background in artificial intelligence and sustainable development, Sandra has focused her work on applying emerging technologies to practical problems affecting communities across the continent.
Her approach reflects a growing belief among African entrepreneurs that some of the most impactful solutions will come from founders who understand local challenges and build products specifically designed for African markets.
For Sandra, artificial intelligence is not simply about developing advanced technology. It is about creating practical solutions that improve livelihoods and increase access to opportunities.
Agriculture became a natural focus because of the critical role farmers play in sustaining communities and economies, yet many remain disconnected from the financial systems needed to unlock their full potential.
The question behind SANDI AI was simple but significant: How can technology help farmers access opportunities that have traditionally remained out of reach?
The company’s answer has been to combine artificial intelligence, agriculture, and financial inclusion into a solution designed around the needs of African farmers.
Recognition at Africa’s Leading Food Systems Gathering
SANDI AI received the award at the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026 Summit, one of the continent’s largest gatherings focused on transforming agriculture and strengthening food systems.
The summit brought together leaders from government, private sector, investment, agriculture, and technology sectors to discuss how Africa can build more resilient food systems, create jobs, and improve livelihoods.
As part of the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize competition, SANDI AI competed against innovative agrifood startups from across Africa before emerging as the overall female-led venture winner.
The competition celebrates young African entrepreneurs building commercially viable businesses that address challenges across agriculture, food production, sustainability, and rural development.
SANDI AI’s success represents a significant achievement for Uganda’s startup ecosystem, demonstrating the ability of homegrown technology companies to develop solutions capable of competing on a continental stage.
Why Investors Are Looking at Agritech and AI Startups
The intersection of agriculture, artificial intelligence, and financial technology is becoming one of Africa’s most promising innovation opportunities.
For investors, startups like SANDI AI represent a new category of companies building solutions around essential infrastructure challenges.
The opportunity is significant.
Millions of farmers across Africa need better access to capital. Financial institutions require better tools to understand agricultural risk. Governments and development organisations need scalable solutions to strengthen food security.
Technology-driven startups are increasingly becoming the bridge between these needs.
By combining artificial intelligence with a deep understanding of agricultural realities, SANDI AI represents the type of innovation attracting global attention — solutions that create both commercial value and measurable social impact.
The company’s US$50,000 prize provides not only financial support but also credibility, visibility, and access to a wider ecosystem of investors, partners, and industry leaders.
From Uganda to Africa’s Agricultural Future
For SANDI AI, winning the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize is not the destination. It is the beginning of a larger growth journey.
The startup plans to continue strengthening its technology, expanding its reach, and supporting more farmers with smarter and more accessible financial solutions.
Sandra believes the future of Africa’s agriculture depends on empowering the people who already sustain its food systems.
“Farmers deserve financial systems designed around their realities,” she says. “Our ambition is to make access to finance smarter, fairer, and more inclusive.”
As Africa continues its journey toward stronger and more sustainable food systems, SANDI AI demonstrates the potential of technology to transform industries and create opportunities at scale.
Uganda’s latest agritech success story is a reminder that some of Africa’s most impactful innovations are emerging from founders solving problems close to home — using technology not only to build businesses, but to create new possibilities for communities that have long been overlooked.
