There’s lots of innovation in the lending space in Africa. I’ve been in the lending space for 3 years now, but in the mobile space for over 8. I can say that the pace of innovation from startups is the fastest I have ever seen it here. Over the next couple weeks, I’ll focus more on some of the interesting companies and products in the space. To start off here’s a link to an article discussing Apollo Agriculture, a Kenyan Startup that supplies small Kenyan farmers with high-quality farming inputs on credit, crop insurance and voice-based training, using a “high tech, low touch” model by leveraging advances in mobile money, machine learning and remote sensing technology. Charlie Munger talks about “lolapalooza” effects on businesses, which is when a combination of factors come into play and the business grows exponentially because of it. Agriculture in Africa is looking to be a sector where there could be a lolapalooza moment soon. The combination of better seeds, more access to information, smarter insurance, and remote sensing means farmers are provided with tools that could realistically boost their harvests by several factors. Along with that, there’s startups looking at the supply chain to ensure that these harvests get to market, and startups looking at fintech solutions for farmers in the offseason. So, the micro and macro factors are lining up for farming in Africa. Watch this space and the startups in it!