Ugandan artificial intelligence (AI) startup SANDI AI Technologies has emerged Grand Prize winner of the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize 2026, receiving US$50,000 in growth funding for its innovative approach to improving access to finance for farmers across Africa.
Founded by Ugandan entrepreneur Nabakka Sandra, SANDI AI has developed an AI-powered solution designed to connect rural farmers with security-free financial loans, addressing one of the most persistent challenges facing smallholder farmers across the continent – limited access to affordable and flexible financing.
The startup came in top spot at the annual GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize during the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026 Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, where leading entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and agricultural stakeholders gathered to explore solutions for transforming Africa’s food systems.
SANDI AI will use the US$50,000 prize money to support its continued technology development, market expansion, and efforts to reach more farming communities with inclusive financial solutions. “Farmers should not be limited by systems that were not designed around their realities,” said Nabakka Sandra, CEO at SANDI AI.
“Technology gives us an opportunity to understand farmers better, recognise their potential, and create pathways that allow them to access the resources they need to grow.”