Supported ventures

CreditAIs

CreditAIs (Pty) Ltd

Brands: CreditAis

Flagship product: EO-Driven Financial Credit Scoring System for Agriculture

Founding team: Thulisile Volwana

Application: EO-based financial credit scoring platform leveraging satellite Earth Observation (EO) data for agricultural credit risk assessment. Innovating credit scoring for agricultural borrowers by integrating remote sensing data to improve financial inclusion and promote sustainable agriculture.

Sector/Industry: Financial Technology / Agricultural Finance

Subsector: Credit Scoring / Agri-finance / Earth Observation Data Analytics

Year founded and commenced operations: 2020

Year partnered with TuksNovation: 2024

Email address: thulisile@creditais.com

Website: creditais.com

 

Description

CreditAis is developing an innovative credit scoring system tailored for the agricultural sector by integrating Earth Observation satellite data with traditional financial metrics. This allows for more accurate assessment of creditworthiness for farmers, especially in remote and underserved regions lacking conventional financial data.

CreditAis’s platform helps financial institutions, insurance companies, and agricultural organizations extend credit and manage risk more effectively, while incentivizing sustainable farming practices. The solution includes a white-label application, scoring model, and business dashboard to streamline credit application and assessment processes.

Growth Objectives

  • Expand adoption of EO-driven credit scoring in financial institutions and agricultural lenders.
  • Broaden incorporation of environmental sustainability metrics into scoring models.
  • Scale platform capabilities and integrations with more data partners.
  • Increase market reach to smallholder farmers and agricultural SMEs.
  • Foster partnerships with regulators and development agencies.

These goals aim to drive financial inclusion and environmentally responsible lending in agriculture.

Differentiation/Value Proposition

  • Integration of novel Earth Observation (EO) data providing unique insights on agricultural productivity and environmental risk.
  • Facilitates credit access for traditionally underserved farming communities lacking financial histories.
  • White-label solution customizable for various lenders and enterprises.
  • Machine learning-powered alternative credit scoring enhancing accuracy beyond traditional methods.
  • Emphasis on promoting sustainable agricultural practices through credit incentives.

CreditAis offers a competitive advantage by combining advanced technology with social impact and environmental sustainability.

Business Stage/Phase

  • Demonstrated prototype with validated credit scoring model trained on extensive historical data.
  • Pilot deployment with microlender underway demonstrating operational use.
  • System proven at TRL 9 with live client usage and successful integrations.

Investment Stage/Phase

  • Actively seeking growth capital to scale commercial deployment and develop technical partnerships.
  • Funding required for technical validation, regulatory approvals, and market expansion.
  • Prior grants and investment secured from various accelerator and funding organizations.

Investment Raised

  • Grants: Google Black Founders Fund Program (2022), Irish Tech Challenge (2022), Alphacode  (2021-2022), Accelerator Angels Investment (2021), IBM(2021, Grant).
  • Technology Innovation Agency (subordinated loan).
  • SANSA NeoFrontiers via Tuksnovation.