Kenyan agritech startup Rhea has raised $100,000 in convertible note financing to scale its soil-testing technology and expand operations into Tanzania.
The funding, secured from Obudu Capital, will support the commercialisation of Rhea’s portable soil-testing device, the RHEA AgriPad, as the startup moves from product development into wider market deployment.
Founded in 2022 by Priscilla Wakarera and Soinato Leboo, Rhea develops hardware and software tools designed to help farmers understand soil conditions and make more informed decisions about fertiliser use.
The RHEA AgriPad combines sensors and machine learning in a portable device capable of generating field-level soil data.
With the new funding, the startup plans to deploy 100 devices, reach 5,000 farmers and establish operations in Tanzania.
The expansion marks a shift towards commercial scaling for the company as it seeks to take its soil-intelligence technology beyond Kenya.
Rhea has also been expanding its field operations. In the first half of 2026, the startup recruited and trained 135 agronomist agents across Kenya’s Makueni, Taita Taveta and Kajiado counties.
It also launched the Rhea Agent App to help manage field operations and introduced Rhea Optima, a service aimed at medium and large-scale farmers, agronomists and local laboratories.
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The startup previously received $75,000 through a Village Capital programme supported by Standard Chartered’s Women in Tech initiative.
In 2025, Rhea also filed a patent application covering a handheld soil-testing kit that combines GPS data with a web-based fertiliser recommendation platform. The system is designed to deliver results to farmers through WhatsApp.
Beyond helping farmers determine fertiliser requirements, Rhea aims to build a larger agricultural dataset that could eventually support services including agricultural financing, crop insurance and carbon markets.
The company’s Tanzania expansion will provide an opportunity to test its technology in a new agricultural market as it works towards wider commercial adoption.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
