TED Tech Tech Solutions (#1): The affordable tech that will revolutionize farming (with Samir Ibrahim and Josephine Waweru)
Nov 7, 2025
Samir Ibrahim, CEO of SunCulture, and Josephine Waweru, a smallholder farmer from Kenya, discuss groundbreaking solutions for agriculture. Samir shares how SunCulture replaced expensive diesel pumps with affordable solar-powered irrigation, reducing costs from $5,000 to $400. Josephine reveals how the solar pump transformed her three-acre farm, boosting her crop yield and income. She offers insightful advice for young people about building skills and the importance of sustainable farming for future generations.
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Farmer-Centered Product+Service Model
- SunCulture built its business by centering farmers and asking them repeatedly what they needed.
- Combining product, financing, and services unlocked adoption beyond hardware alone.
Cost Cutting Through Dual Innovation
- SunCulture cut system costs dramatically through tech and business-model innovation.
- They paired engineering with financing and carbon revenues to reduce prices to about $400.
Climate Solutions Span Multiple Policy Goals
- Climate and food security solutions cross many political priorities like jobs and migration.
- That cross-cutting nature makes funding easier but also requires targeted framing.