From Soil Sensors to Farm Analytics: Using Technology to Improve Soil Health and Food Security in Africa with Brian Bosire

Episode 183 with Brian Bosire, CEO and Co-Founder of UjuziKilimo, a leading agri-tech company empowering Africa’s smallholder farmers through data science, IoT, and predictive analytics.Brian Bosire is on a mission to digitise Africa’s agricultural value chains by putting powerful, real-time insights in the hands of smallholder farmers. In this episode, he shares the story behind UjuziKilimo, which is Swahili for “knowledge farming,” and how the company is using cutting-edge technologies like the SoilPal IoT sensor and the FarmSuite analytics platform to transform decision-making on millions of farms across the continent.Brian unpacks the innovation behind UjuziKilimo’s tools, which deliver field-specific data on soil health, fertiliser recommendations, and crop suitability within minutes. He explains how data-driven agronomy can increase yields, unlock financing and insurance, and build resilience in the face of climate change.What We Discuss With BrianThe personal journey from growing up in a small farming village in Kisii, Kenya, to founding a company that empowers thousands of smallholder farmers through technology.How UjuziKilimo is replacing guesswork with data-driven decision-making through innovations like the SoilPal IoT device and FarmSuite analytics platform.The real-world impact of providing instant, field-specific agronomic recommendations on crop performance, soil health, and input usage.The business model and scaling challenges of reaching over 26,000 farmers, and the ambition to impact millions more.The role of machine learning and predictive analytics in enabling smarter, faster, and more localized farming practices.Verto CornerIn this week’s Verto Corner, Conor O’Kane, Compliance Operations Manager at Verto, tackles one of the most important challenges for businesses operating across African markets: getting compliance right without slowing growth. As cross-border trade increases, so do regulatory expectations, and companies that don’t keep up risk delays, penalties, or missed opportunities. Conor explains the key compliance hurdles businesses face when transacting in and out of emerging markets and offers clear, actionable advice on how to stay compliant while still moving quickly.Discover how Verto's solutions can help you accept payments, manage expenses, and scale effortlessly. Visit Verto to get started.Did you miss my previous episode where I discus A Billion-Tonne Vision: The Company Using Rocks to Remove Carbon and Boost African Agriculture? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with Brian:LinkedIn - Brian BosireTwitter - @BosireOnyiMany of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:[email protected]