Summary: Cemaki , an agritech startup operating in Kongo Central, today reported a series of operational milestones from its ongoing irrigated-rice pilot, including a certified harvest…
Seke-Banza, Democratic Republic of the Congo & Dubai, UAE
Cemaki, an agritech startup operating in Kongo Central, today reported a series of operational milestones from its ongoing irrigated-rice pilot, including a certified harvest across 50 hectares and expanded pilot sales to local buyers achievements reached with continued support from FasterCapital.
With ongoing support from FasterCapital and work through the EquityPilot program, Cemaki is focused on scaling its irrigated-rice model, strengthening field monitoring, and advancing commercial off-take in Kongo Central as it moves into the next growth phase.
What the Startup Delivers?
Cemaki develops and implements irrigated-rice agronomy, localized irrigation schemes, and field-level monitoring to increase yields and marketable volumes for local producers. Recent pilots combine improved variety selection, lowland irrigation collaboration with cooperatives, and IoT-enabled field monitoring to produce certified harvests and organized sales.
Current FasterCapital Support
FasterCapital’s ongoing collaboration with Cemaki during this phase includes:
– Milestone planning and execution follow-up aligned to field trials and certification
– Pitch and communication refinement for buyer and partner engagement
– Introductions to relevant ecosystem stakeholders and market contacts where appropriate
– Fundraising readiness support and strategic prioritization for next-stage growth
Operational progress and evidence
– Finalized an irrigated rice variety on 20 pilot hectares at Seke-Banza, delivering an 18% yield uplift to 3.5 t/ha in trial plots.
– Launched pilot sales totaling 600 tons to local buyers within Kongo Central, a 25% increase versus the prior quarter.
– Signed a collaboration with peasant cooperatives to expand lowland irrigation across 30 hectares in Kinzoki.
– Recruited two local agricultural technicians to operate IoT monitoring systems across Kongo Central pilot sites.
– Secured certification of harvest on 50 hectares and hosted a visit from the Ministry of Agriculture; results were featured positively in regional press coverage for the 2025–2026 campaign.
Current Execution Priorities
Cemaki’s current priorities are scaling irrigated hectares with cooperating farmer groups, optimizing the selected rice variety across varied lowland plots, expanding IoT monitoring coverage, and converting pilot sales momentum into repeat off-take agreements with local buyers.
Leadership Comment
Hesham Zreik, Founder and CEO of FasterCapital, said: ‘We’re pleased to continue supporting Cemaki through EquityPilot. Our team is focused on current execution priorities, milestone tracking, and connecting the startup with relevant ecosystem stakeholders as it advances.’
Customer validation
Pilot sales activity and certified harvests provide initial market validation: 600 tons sold to local buyers in Kongo Central and a certified 50-ha harvest demonstrate commercial demand and operational tractability at pilot scale.
About Cemaki
Cemaki pilots irrigated-rice production and field-monitoring solutions to improve smallholder yields and organize local grain markets in Kongo Central, Congo. By combining agronomy, localized irrigation, and IoT-enabled monitoring, Cemaki aims to increase productivity and create scalable, market-linked rice supply.
About FasterCapital
FasterCapital works with founders to turn plans into disciplined execution through milestone-based support, hands-on guidance, and improved fundraising readiness. With programs including EquityPilot, FasterCapital helps startups sharpen positioning, clarify priorities, and connect with relevant ecosystem stakeholders as they grow.
