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EDFI Management Company (EDFI MC), global impact investor Acumen and a network of angel investors have made a €1.8 million equity investment in Vitara Agritech, a Ghanaian agri-tech company building more traceable and sustainable shea value chains.
EDFI MC invested through the AgriFI Ghana Country Window, a €10 million vehicle dedicated to increasing the production and incomes of smallholder farmers in Ghana. AgriFI is managed by EDFI MC.
Founded in 2020 and formerly known as Sommalife, Vitara connects smallholder shea producers to international manufacturers. Its proprietary digital platform, TreeSyt, supports farmer profiling, sourcing, training and tree monitoring, helping to bring greater traceability to a value chain that has traditionally relied on informal intermediaries.
Vitara’s growth is closely connected to Europe, where its main clients include companies specialising in plant-based oils and fats. Shea sourced in Ghana is used principally in cocoa butter equivalents for chocolate and confectionery products.
Rodrigo Madrazo, chief executive officer of EDFI MC, said: “Vitara combines a commercially strong model with clear benefits for smallholder producers, particularly women, and for the landscapes on which the shea sector depends. We are pleased that AgriFI’s first direct equity investment in Ghana will support a Ghanaian company that is creating a more transparent, resilient and inclusive shea value chain.”
Chris Maranga, Africa director at Acumen, said: “For generations, the women who harvest and process Ghana’s shea have been shut out of reliable markets. Vitara is changing that, opening the door to higher, more stable incomes through a rapidly growing network of farmers and community agents. As the company scales toward one million farmers by 2030, it is showing how technology, transparent markets, and climate stewardship can reshape West Africa’s agricultural supply chains. We’re proud to invest alongside AgriFI to help it get there.”
Mawuse Gyisun, chief operating officer and co-founder of Vitara, said: “With the support of AgriFI, Acumen, and SIG our angel investors, Vitara can expand its work with women producers, strengthen the reach of our solutions and build a more transparent and sustainable shea supply chain.”
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