News
Releaf Secures $3.3M Pre-series A Funding, Unveils New Technologies
Releaf, a technology company that makes it easier for consumer goods manufacturers in Africa to access high-quality ingredients for their factories, has raised $3.3 million in an oversubscribed Pre-Series A funding round.
The new funding will support the launch of two new technologies: Kraken II – a portable version of its award-winning palm nut de-sheller and SITE – a geospatial mapping application that informs the most profitable positioning of food processing assets.
The funding round was led by Samurai Incubate Africa, who re-invested after leading Releaf’s seed round, with participation from Consonance Investment Managers. Stephen Pagliuca (Chairman of Bain Capital) and Jeff Ubben (Board member at World Wildlife Fund and Founder of Inclusive Capital Partners) also invested.
SITE was developed in collaboration with Stanford University’s Professor David Lobell, a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and Director of the Center on Food Security and the Environment, whose team led the refinement of the age identification process for oil palm trees in Nigeria.
This analysis provided foundational yield data for the first layer of SITE. The application leverages cutting-edge geospatial mapping tools to determine how much oil palm is planted in an area and their annual yields, alongside Releaf’s proprietary data on soil type, rainfall, farmer productivity and 3rd-party data from organizations like the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to deliver a dynamic view of farming activity.
Releaf will use this dynamic data set to train Reinforcement Learning Models in SITE that identify the most optimal positioning of supply chain infrastructure for consumer goods manufacturers, creating an effective link with Africa’s decentralized farming system.
Kraken II is a portable, lower-cost version of Releaf’s Kraken – West Africa’s most advanced palm nut de-sheller. It is just as efficient as its static predecessor, costs half as much and can attain 3x profitability because it can be transported to high density farming areas, eliminating more than 80 percent of margin-eroding logistics costs.
The combination of Kraken II’s portability and SITE’s placement and route planning capabilities enables Releaf to target the best opportunities across Nigeria’s oil palm belt rather than being limited to sourcing crops within 100 kilometers of a fixed processing site like existing food processors.
According to Uzoma Ayogu, CTO and co-founder of Releaf, “SITE and Kraken II are the next steps in our plan to fundamentally transform the efficiency of agricultural supply chains in Africa and we are excited to have partnered with an exceptional cohort of investors and collaborators to roll out these technologies.
To make food supply chains profitable, we must maximize extraction yields with leading processing technology and minimize logistics costs by bringing processing capacity closer to farmers.
Before Releaf, stakeholders had to choose between one or the other – large factories had great technology but were far away, leaving most farmers with rudimentary technology to process their crops. We’re now able to maximize both.”
Africa will represent 40% of the human population by the end of the 21st century and the fast-moving consumer goods market will emerge as its first globally relevant industrial sector.
Releaf’s technology is designed to accelerate this industrialization while ensuring inclusive success for the planet, farmers, food factories, and consumers in one of the greatest economic opportunities globally.
Since launching in 2021, Releaf has used its supply chain technology to process more than 10 million kilograms of palm nuts and grown its monthly revenue 7X year on year.
The company has also secured more than $100 million in supply contracts from leading consumer goods manufacturers, including Presco, PZ Cussons, and more. The company’s valuation has tripled since its seed round a year ago.
Rena Yoneyama, Managing Partner at Samurai Incubate Africa, contributed, “Releaf’s success with its pilot Kraken validates its thesis, and we are excited to continue supporting their ambitious vision to create efficient supply chains within Africa’s agricultural market.
They have added key members to their management team and continue to impress us with their rapid commercial growth and technological development. We look forward to more of the same success as the team rolls out Kraken II and SITE.”
Professor David Lobell from Stanford University said, “I enjoyed working with Releaf and using our tree height algorithm to establish the correlation between oil palm age and height to help farmers to get a better understanding of their future yields and make better data-driven decisions on sustainable replanting.
“There is a great opportunity to unlock Africa’s unique agricultural potential by leveraging remote sensing solutions, and I believe this partnership will be a catalyst.”
Lagos State has become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to establish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Registry, a move aimed at strengthening climate governance, improving emissions accountability and accelerating the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Lagos State Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) was unveiled at the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, at a ceremony attended by Prof. Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, members of the State Executive Council, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, development partners, TPHG Technologies, the diplomatic and business communities, academics, civil society organisations and the media.
Describing the initiative as a landmark achievement in the state’s environmental sustainability drive, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said the Registry marks a defining moment in Lagos’ climate action journey and reflects Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to building a resilient, climate-smart and environmentally sustainable economy.
According to Ajayi, the digital platform will enable the state to accurately measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors, providing credible data to guide environmental policies and climate interventions.
He said the Registry would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve transparency and accountability, support national and international climate reporting obligations, unlock carbon market opportunities and boost investor confidence in Lagos’ environmental initiatives.
Ajayi also commended TPHG Technologies for providing the technical expertise that made the pioneering project possible.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abayomi described the Registry as a major milestone that positions Lagos at the forefront of climate governance and emissions accountability in both Nigeria and Africa.
He noted that climate change has evolved into a significant public health and governance challenge, stressing that access to reliable emissions data would enable the state to formulate evidence-based policies, attract climate financing, strengthen resilience and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Providing insights into the technical framework of the project, Dr. Mofoluso Fagbeja, lead consultant and chief executive officer, TPHG Technologies, explained that the Registry was developed from the greenhouse gas inventory jointly undertaken by LASEPA and TPHG Technologies in 2022, using 2019 as the baseline year for emissions assessment.
He said the platform is designed to close critical emissions data gaps, particularly within the industrial sector, while supporting effective climate policy implementation, emissions management and sustainable development.
Fagbeja also disclosed that the greenhouse gas inventory estimated that poor air quality contributes to about 35,000 premature deaths annually in Lagos, underscoring the urgent need for stronger emissions control measures and cleaner environmental practices.
In a goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Mrs. Adenaike Olunimpe Oludunni, federal controller of Environment in Lagos, commended Lagos State for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s climate commitments.
He said the Registry aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and supports the Federal Government’s Energy Transition Plan, while reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with Lagos State on climate governance and environmental sustainability.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
Nigeria and Israel yesterday reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation in research, technology and innovation as both countries pledged to expand partnerships that will drive entrepreneurship, commercialise research and accelerate economic development.
The commitment was made at the closing ceremony and innovation showcase of the I-FAIR Cohort of the Israel-Nigeria Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (I-FAIR) in Abuja, where the Ambassador of Israel to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, announced that funding had been secured for the fifth edition of the programme, scheduled to begin in October 2026.
Freeman described I-FAIR as a practical demonstration of the growing partnership between both countries, saying it had enabled Nigerian innovators to develop local solutions to national challenges through Israeli mentorship and expertise.
He said, “This programme has never been about bringing Israeli solutions to Nigeria. It’s been about helping brilliant Nigerian innovators develop Nigerian solutions to Nigerian challenges supported by Israeli experience, mentorship and innovation.”
The envoy noted that the initiative had brought together government, academia, investors, engineers and entrepreneurs to transform innovative ideas into businesses capable of creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.
Announcing the continuation of the programme, he said, “I am so proud to stand here today and announce that we have secured with our partners funding for I-FAIR 5 and I-FAIR 5 will be launching in October 2026.”
Freeman said the relationship between Nigeria and Israel had grown significantly over the past four and a half years through cooperation in innovation, agriculture, healthcare, education, water management and technology.
He expressed confidence that stronger collaboration between both countries would unlock greater opportunities for startups, research institutions and businesses.
According to him, “Israel brings experience and innovation, technology, agriculture, healthcare, cyber security, security and water management. Nigeria brings extraordinary talent, creativity, entrepreneurship and one of the most dynamic young populations anywhere in the world.”
He added, “I have no doubt that the best chapters of the relationship between Israel and Nigeria are still ahead of us.”
The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Architect Sonny Echono, also reaffirmed TETFund’s commitment to strengthening research and innovation through strategic partnerships with Israel and other stakeholders.
He said the I-FAIR programme aligned with Nigeria’s priorities in food security, agriculture, medicine, technology, clean energy and the circular economy, adding that TETFund would continue supporting initiatives that promote research commercialisation.
Echono stressed that collaboration between government, academia and industry remained critical to translating research findings into products and services.
He said, “It is this critical linkage, especially between science, engineering, technology and innovation, and the productive sector that is critical for translating R&D results and inventions into finished products for socio-economic benefits of our people.”
He disclosed that TETFund was working with partners to establish innovation facilities in about 60 tertiary institutions and had created a student innovation fund that would provide up to ₦50 million to students with commercially viable ideas.
The TETFund boss also announced plans for a National Research Fair later this year, where innovators would showcase products before policymakers, financial institutions and investors to attract funding and commercial partnerships.
Paying tribute to the outgoing Israeli ambassador, Echono described Freeman as a strong bridge between Nigeria and Israel.
He said, “Nigeria is grateful for your service. You have been a strong bridge between our two countries.”
Earlier, Head of Programmes at Innov8 Hub, Tolulope Aina, said sustainable economic development depended on building an innovation ecosystem that transforms ideas into successful businesses.
She noted that Innov8 Hub had supported more than 3,000 innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs, helping them convert research into products, startups and investment-ready ventures.
Aina said, “Nigeria does not suffer from a shortage of brilliant minds, what we need are stronger pathways that help those ideas become products, businesses, and opportunities that improve life.”
She thanked the Embassy of Israel and TETFund for their continued support in strengthening Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
According to her, “Building an innovation-driven economy requires collaboration, long-term commitment and shared purpose.”
History as Lagos Becomes First Nigerian State to Launch Greenhouse Gas Registry
AMCON Puts ntel Up for Sale, Seeks Investors
Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission Seeks Collaboration on Power Plants
AI Investment Gap Threatens Africa’s Future Growth
UNN to Partner Firm on AI, Smart Mobility Innovation Centre
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira
EFCC Busts NIS Visa Overstay Racket, Uncovers N700m in an Account
Tokenization, Blockchain Technology will Transform Financial Institutions – IMF
From Scarcity to Scale: What Africa Can Learn from India’s Agricultural Transformation
Spotify partners Afro Nation Portugal to expand African music experience
E-Business1 day agoReport Says Cybercriminals Deploy Malware to Hijack Crypto Wallets, Monitor Browsers Telegram
Telecom1 day agoNCC, REA Partner to Cut Telecom Costs with Renewable Energy
Telecom1 day agoSubscribers, Telcos Warn FCCPC over Airtime Lending Enforcement
News1 day agoSee Verified 20 Countries Nigerian Passport Holders Can Travel Visa-Free
General News1 day agoAfDB, Nigeria Urge African Control of Mineral Resources
E-Business1 day agoNPC Opens 131 Births, Deaths Registration Centres in Anambra
General News1 day agoLagos Chamber Opposes 21 Percent Pension Contribution, Warns of Job Losses
Telecom1 day agoNigeria Pushes for United African Front Ahead of Global Telecoms Elections