Agritech startup Arya.ag secures $19.8 million debt commitment from DFC

  • Arya.ag, an agri-commerce platform based in Noida, has secured a $19.8 million debt guarantee from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to enhance its market connections for farmers and farmer-producer organizations (FPOs).
  • The funding will aid AryaTech, Arya.ag’s subsidiary, in expanding its platform to provide secure and transparent transactions across India, aiming to reduce agricultural waste and improve payment security.
  • This financial support follows Arya.ag’s recent funding round in which it raised approximately $29.2 million from existing investors, emphasizing the company’s growth and investor confidence.
  • Arya.ag currently operates in 60% of India’s districts, with a robust warehouse network and advanced technology solutions to manage inventory and ensure operational efficiency, while facilitating over $1.5 billion in loans to small farmers.
  • Co-founder Prasanna Rao highlighted the DFC’s commitment as a significant milestone that will further transform India’s grain commerce ecosystem and promote an inclusive agricultural marketplace.

Arya.ag, a Noida-based grain commerce platform focused on the agricultural sector, has received a $19.8 million debt facility guarantee from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

The funds are allocated to AryaTech, Arya.ag’s agri-commerce subsidiary, to support its efforts in connecting farmers and farmer-producer organizations (FPOs) with buyers, expanding its capacity to reach a broader market.

The development comes nearly four months after it raised Rs 242.36 crore (approximately $29.2 million) in funding led by existing investors, including Asia Impact and Quona Capital, through Quona Blue Earth and Accion Quona.

Enhancing market linkages for farmers and FPOs

With this new financial backing, Arya.ag aims to strengthen its market linkage capabilities, providing farmers and FPOs with a secure and transparent platform to engage with buyers across India.

The firm has designed an end-to-end service model that encompasses warehousing, financing, and market access directly from the farmgate.

This setup is intended to reduce agricultural waste, enhance payment security, and make transactions more transparent, aligning with DFC’s objective to support economic development in underserved regions.

DFC Vice President of Health and Agribusiness, James Polan, commented on the transaction, saying, “DFC is pleased to support AryaTech in expanding its growing agri-tech platform connecting small farmers and farmer producer organisations to buyers in underserved regions of India. This transaction aligns with our goal of supporting economic growth and prosperity in communities across India.”

Arya.ag’s expanding presence across India

Currently, Arya.ag operates in 60% of India’s districts, with a warehouse network of over 12,000 locations, where it utilizes technology such as IoT, computer vision, and blockchain to manage inventory and reduce operational risks.

The startup claims to store $3 billion worth of grain annually and to have facilitated over $1.5 billion in loan disbursements to smallholder farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

Prasanna Rao, Co-founder and CEO of Arya.ag, said, “This commitment from DFC represents a significant milestone in our mission to transform India’s grain commerce ecosystem. The facility will enable us to connect more farmers and FPOs to buyers, creating a more efficient and inclusive agricultural marketplace. This aligns perfectly with our proven business model that has already demonstrated profitability while driving meaningful impact across the sector.”


Here’s the summarized information based on the provided content:

Startup:

  • Name: Arya.ag
  • Location: Noida, India
  • Sector: Agricultural / Agri-commerce

Founders:

  • Prasanna Rao – Co-founder and CEO

Funding Details:

  1. Debt Facility:

    • Amount: $19.8 million
    • Source: U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)
  2. Previous Funding Round:
    • Amount: Rs 242.36 crore (approximately $29.2 million)
    • Lead Investors:
      • Asia Impact
      • Quona Capital
    • Investment Vehicles:
      • Quona Blue Earth
      • Accion Quona

Investors:

  • Existing Investors:
    • Asia Impact
    • Quona Capital

Goals and Impact:

  • Objective: To enhance market linkage for farmers and farmer-producer organizations (FPOs), providing a transparent platform to connect with buyers across India.
  • Technology Utilized: IoT, Computer Vision, Blockchain
  • Operations: Over 12,000 warehouse locations, currently operating in 60% of India’s districts.

This information provides a brief overview of Arya.ag, its funding, and its goals in the agricultural sector.

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