Two Nigerian Startups Raise $450K for Climate and Growth

Two Nigerian startups are proving that solving everyday problems can attract serious investment while creating lasting impact.

Trade Lenda and AirSmat together raised $450,000 from the Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility, a $4 million pilot program managed by Village Capital with backing from Dutch investors. The facility launched specifically to find talented founders that traditional investors often miss.

Trade Lenda runs a digital platform that gives small and medium businesses access to loans they couldn't get before. Since starting up, the company has helped more than 260,000 small businesses and farmers across Nigeria, with women making up 66% of their customers.

The investment already delivered results. "The capital enabled us to acquire a higher license and attract more competitive funding," said Adeshina Adewumi, Trade Lenda's co-founder and CEO. His company secured an additional $2 million in local debt at lower interest rates, savings they're passing directly to the entrepreneurs they serve.

AirSmat takes a different approach to impact. The climate tech company transforms agricultural waste into biochar-based fertilizer that removes carbon from the atmosphere while making soil healthier and farms more productive.

Founder and CEO Soji Sanyaolu explained the funding will complete their commercial fertilizer factory and scale operations. "It will strengthen our manufacturing capacity, expand market access, and accelerate the delivery of climate-smart agricultural solutions that improve soil health," he said.

The Ripple Effect

What makes this investment model different is how it works. The facility partners with local entrepreneur support organizations already embedded in African startup ecosystems. These groups identify strong founders long before they appear on traditional investor radar.

Africa Fintech Foundry played that role in Nigeria, using its deep market knowledge and founder networks to spot both Trade Lenda and AirSmat. "We don't often see investors partnering so intentionally with local ecosystem organizations, and that's what makes this facility different," said Carolina Gideon-Krama, venture analyst at the organization.

Husein Merchant, investment officer at Village Capital, highlighted what made these companies stand out. "Trade Lenda is expanding access to finance for hundreds of thousands of SMEs and farmers, while AirSmat is transforming agricultural waste into productive inputs that strengthen food systems," he said.

These two investments bring the facility's total to seven startups after backing five companies in Ghana previously. The program operates across Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania, focusing on climate resilience and economic mobility.

Both companies are solving problems that millions face while building sustainable businesses that create opportunity for others.