Kestrel is a neobank for rural farms. Smallholder farmers are the future of global food security, producing more than 80 percent of food in the global south. Yet, because lenders lack the data required to comfortably invest in rural agriculture, only 3 percent of the industry’s demand for financing is currently met. By combining digital finance with data analytics, Kestrel makes it easier to move money across agricultural value chains. Their machine-learning algorithms analyze agricultural data alongside transaction histories to create financial profiles for rural farmers, which allows Kestrel to provide farmers with data-driven financial statuses through their mobile app. Instead of traveling to pay for agricultural inputs and equipment in cash installments, farmers can now remotely purchase these products up front, all while building credit and contributing data back into Kestrel’s algorithm models. .
Leadership
Kamal Narra
College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences