Track record

Four pilots, four ways of putting satellite data to work

Each pilot used a different signal for a different decision. Here is what we measured, what triggered action and what happened.

3,000+
Farmers reached
Across East Africa, since 2022
262
Pastoralists paid ahead of drought
Laikipia & Kajiado pilot, 2023
$11,271
USDT disbursed
Laikipia & Kajiado pilot, 2023
September 2023 · Laikipia & Kajiado counties

Drought cash transfers for pastoralists

Donors pledged funds into escrow. We monitored pasture condition over the herders' grazing areas. When the vegetation signal reached distress levels, the funds were released automatically to 262 pastoralists, before the worst of the drought.

Mercy Corps VenturesFortune CreditDIVA
Service
Predictive analytics and verification
Signal
Vegetation index (NDVI) over grazing land
Trigger
Pasture condition at distress level
Outcome
$11,271 USDT to 262 pastoralists; 75% lower transaction cost, 90% faster settlement
Chart: a vegetation index falls through the dry season and crosses a trigger line, releasing a payout.
Illustrative How the pasture trigger works. Not pilot data.
2022–2023 · Northern Kenya

Parametric insurance for cattle herders

150 herders were covered against drought. Payouts were triggered when vegetation fell below levels that signal livestock starvation risk, so no one had to file a claim or wait for an assessor during the emergency.

Fortune CreditDIVA
Service
Verification layer
Signal
Vegetation index (NDVI)
Trigger
Vegetation below the starvation-risk threshold
Outcome
150 herders insured, payouts settled automatically
2025 · Kenya

Rainfall insurance inside 5-day MSME loans

Parametric rainfall cover was built directly into Fortune Credit's 5-day digital loans. When rainfall passed set levels during the loan, the borrower's repayment was reduced automatically. Heavier rain meant a higher tier and more relief. We fed more than 30 satellite and sensor data streams into the system every day.

Mercy Corps VenturesBlockBimaFortune CreditRiskShield
Service
Real-time reporting and verification
Signal
Cumulative rainfall over each loan's 5 days
Trigger
Tiered severity thresholds
Outcome
Repayment relief applied without a claim
Chart: rainfall builds over a five-day loan and reaches the second of three severity tiers, which reduces the repayment.
Illustrative Tiered rainfall triggers over one loan cycle. Not pilot data.
2022–2023 · Gatanga, north of Nairobi

Carbon credits for smallholder avocado farmers

With the local NGO YARD (Youth Action for Rural Development), we helped smallholder communities issue carbon credits from organically grown fruit trees. Satellite monitoring reduced the need for manual field audits, which typically costs $30 to $50 per hectare and shuts small farms out.

YARD
Service
Verification layer (digital MRV)
Signal
Tree cover and vegetation over enrolled farms, with field data
Outcome
Verifiable credits from avocado trees for international buyers
Partners

Organisations we have worked with

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