Semaai Co-Founder and CEO Muhammad Yoga Anindito
Semaai, a ‘farmer-first’ company building full-stack agritech solutions, has just announced a US$4.7 million investment round led by CyberAgent Capital to propel the expansion of its embedded fintech solutions and agronomy advisory services in Indonesia. The company aims to enhance the user experience in its marketplace by integrating with additional financial institutions. It plans to cover 75 per cent of over 8,200 Indonesian villages by 2024.
In an interview with e27, Semaai Co-Founder and CEO Muhammad Yoga Anindito delves into Semaai’s integrated digital ecosystem, strategies for growth in Central Java, and the pivotal role of technology in supporting agri-retailers and smallholder farmers.
Edited excerpts:
Can you share more details about how this funding will specifically contribute to expanding Semaai’s embedded fintech solutions and agronomy advisory services?
The funds will be utilised to enhance the integrated fintech experience within our marketplace, aiming for a more seamless user experience. Additionally, we plan to broaden our offerings by integrating with additional financial institutions and fintech players.
Also Read: Semaai nets US$4.7M to expand its agritech, fintech solutions to Central Java
Semaai aims to cover 75 per cent of over 8,200 villages in Indonesia by the end of 2024. How do you plan to achieve this ambitious goal, and what impact do you anticipate on the local agricultural communities?
Our mission is to empower the local communities, and our success depends on addressing their needs. Our full-stack agritech solution has enhanced access to crop nutrition through the input marketplace and increased knowledge about the latest agri-input products through advisory services. But this is just the beginning, and we believe technology can add value to these communities in multiple ways.
Could you elaborate on how Semaai’s digital marketplace for agricultural inputs, agronomy advisory services, and financial solutions collectively form an integrated digital ecosystem? How does this address disruptions in the supply chain and support agri-retailers and smallholder farmers?
When combined, these services can help retailers and smallholder farmers make smarter, more well-informed decisions and implement more sustainable farming practices. Never before had farmers and retailers had better access to pricing and knowledge transparency, thanks to the efficiency and speed that we bring to the supply chain.
You plan to focus on strengthening Semaai’s presence in Central Java. What factors led to the decision to prioritise this region, and how do you see it contributing to the overall growth and impact of Semaai’s services?
Central Java has a sizable agricultural sector and farmer population. Strengthening our foundation in this province could serve as a blueprint to make our expansion outside the province easier.
Semaai claims a significant increase in net revenue, Toko Tani marketplace user base, and advisory feature adoption. What key strategies or initiatives do you attribute to this remarkable growth in the past 12 months?
Margin expansion came naturally as we grew in transaction volume, and our state-of-the-art logistics tech has proven to be a major leverage for us to go one step closer towards profitability.
This efficient logistics system contributed to margin expansion and enhanced the overall user experience, attracting more users to our marketplace.
As a ‘farmer-first’ company, how does Semaai ensure that its agri-tech solutions are tailored to the specific needs and challenges farmers and rural MSMEs in Indonesia face?
We have a specific bottom-up approach to business development. Every decision we make, every feature we plan to build, and every policy we enforce has to go through a rigorous proof-of-concept process from the field. Having a system to accommodate this process and living it as part of our culture is the key to maintaining our swift development as a customer-first company.
With the expansion of financial services in collaboration with institutions and fintech providers, how does Semaai plan to address the unique financial needs of agri-retailers and farmers? What role does technology play in enhancing financial inclusivity in the agriculture sector?
The unique integration of fintech institutions with our know-how of the input market, coupled with the data collected through a marketplace, uniquely positions us to develop tailored solutions for key stakeholders.
Also Read: Semaai nets funding to create integrated digital ecosystem for farmers, toko tanis in Indonesia
Can you provide insights into the partnerships with financial institutions and fintech providers? How do these collaborations enhance Semaai’s ability to provide comprehensive financial solutions to its users?
We have multiple integrations and conversations underway for digital financial services. We are exploring everything from supply chain financing to insurance to farmer lending. Watch this space for more.
The agronomy advisory service plays a crucial role in Semaai’s ecosystem. How is educational content organised, and how do you ensure that farmers can access relevant information to improve their farming practices?
Currently, the agronomy service is focused on pests and disease detection, and the educational content on the marketplace app is organised around that. With the raise, we are exploring digital tools to help farmers adopt better practices.
Looking ahead, what are the key milestones and plans for Semaai, both in terms of geographical expansion and the enhancement of your agri-tech solutions? How do you envision Semaai’s role in shaping the future of Indonesia’s agricultural landscape?
Our vision is to be the digital platform of choice for Indonesian agriculture, and we can only achieve this by addressing the different needs of our customers. Our priority is to advance our solution stack further to better cater to the needs of our customers, and we are confident we can easily expand this enhanced offering to the rest of Indonesia.
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