Urban Greens aims to build micro-farm networks across East Africa
“We don’t just want to install systems; we want to create entrepreneurs”
For many Ugandan city dwellers, vertical farming still seems out of reach. Too technical, too risky, and without reliable market access. Urban Greens Ltd is working to change that, one grower at a time.
“We knew the barriers: Unreliable power, limited inputs, no safety net for sales,” said the Urban Greens team. “So we designed our model around removing every one of those obstacles.” With solar-powered systems, full-service grower support, and a buy-back model, Urban Greens is making urban farming investable.
Engineering a scalable solution
At the heart of their model is an integrated, modular farming system tailored to Kampala’s constraints. The company’s demonstration farm manages 15 active systems, ranging from hydroponic towers to commercial-scale aquaponics units that grow tilapia and vegetables side by side. To overcome frequent power outages, every unit comes with solar backup. For oversight, growers can access real-time data and technical assistance through a remote monitoring dashboard.
Urban Greens advises its growers to focus on crops with strong local demand and reliable turnover. These include multiple lettuce varieties, basil, coriander, mint, parsley, celery, spring onions, kale, leeks, Swiss chard, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers; all selected for freshness, shelf appeal, and urban household utility.
Supporting new growers from seed to sale
Urban Greens currently supports 12 independent growers across the city. Each receives installation, training, input supply (like seedlings, fish feed, and biological pest control), and routine agronomy visits.
The company’s customer base is surprisingly diverse. “We work with everyone from high-end restaurants to retired women growing on balconies,” they said. But the cornerstone of their growth success? Guaranteed market access!
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De-risking the investment
Independent growers often struggle to sell premium produce at fair prices in Uganda’s unstructured market. Urban Greens solves this with a buy-back model. “We purchase produce from seven of our growers and distribute it through our network,” they explained.
This model ensures revenue and also enables standardization and traceability, which are essential for building trust with end consumers. The company’s partners, including WFP Innovation Accelerator and EEP Africa, have been instrumental in developing these distribution systems and training pipelines.
From Kampala to Kigali and beyond
Urban Greens’ current focus is on consolidation in Kampala, but regional ambitions are clear. “Cities like Nairobi and Kigali have the market maturity we’re looking for,” said the team. “We see ourselves expanding there within two to three years.”
“They’re also exploring partnerships with impact investors to grow their network from 30 sites to several thousand across East Africa. Part of that vision includes launching lease-to-own models, specifically targeted at youth and low-income women.
“We don’t just want to install systems, we want to create entrepreneurs.“
Urban Greens is also positioning itself as a regional distributor of vertical farming equipment and precision inputs, further reinforcing its role as an ecosystem enabler.
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What success looks like
Over the next five years, Urban Greens hopes to become East Africa’s leading importer and distributor of vertical farming tech, roll out a fully automated grower support platform, launch an online sales portal for premium urban-grown produce, offer inclusive financing models for underserved growers, and create thousands of green jobs in urban agriculture.
“If we can make this work in Kampala, we can make it work anywhere.”
For more information:
Urban Greens
Peter Huisman, CEO and Founder
+256 784 741 516
peter@urbangreensltd.com
www.urbangreensltd.com
Source: www.FreshPlaza.com
About WFP Innovation Accelerator:
“The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator sources, supports, and scales high-impact innovations to achieve Zero Hunger. Based in Munich, Germany, we provide WFP employees, entrepreneurs, and startups with funding, hands-on support and access to WFP’s global operations. Through the Accelerator, WFP is leveraging unprecedented advances in digital innovation—such as mobile technology, artificial intelligence, big data, and blockchain—and new business models to transform the way we serve vulnerable communities across the world.”
Find out more about us: http://innovation.wfp.org.
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About EEP Africa:
The Energy and Environment Partnership Trust Fund (EEP Africa) is a clean energy financing facility hosted and managed by the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) with funding from Austria, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, NDF, Norway and Switzerland. It is guided by a vision for a climate-resilient, zero-carbon future with the aim of contributing to the achievement of the Paris Agreement on climate change and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
EEP Africa provides early-stage grant and catalytic financing to innovative clean energy projects, technologies and business models in 17 countries across Southern and Eastern Africa. Project financing is supplemented by technical support, investment facilitation and knowledge sharing.
Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland
Other branches: Nairobi, Kenya & Harare, Zimbabwe
Email: info@eepafrica.com
Website: https://eepafrica.org
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