This Week in StartupGhana #39: Lightrock appoints new partner | AgriCoHub channels nearly GHS 1 million to startups | Mariseth Farms secures $560k

Hello guys, 

Welcome to another edition of the This Week in StartupGhana newsletter. Building in Africa often means solving two problems simultaneously: the business model and the broken system. But it’s also where the most creative solutions are emerging—from those turning cooperative networks into funding engines, to others scaling platforms that connect markets, data, and capital. 

Here’s a look at the bold moves shaping the ecosystem this week.

• Lightrock taps Elizabeth Biney-Amissah as partner to deepen its energy and climate investment in Africa.
• AgriCoHub channels nearly GHS 1 million to startups via an innovative cooperative credit union model.
• Esoko named one of Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies by Financial Times.
• Mariseth Farms secures $560k from Sahel Capital to support over 8,000 smallholder farmers.

Talent

Lightrock taps Elizabeth Biney-Amissah as partner to deepen its energy and climate investment in Africa.

Global impact investment platform Lightrock has appointed Elizabeth Biney-Amissah as a Partner, as the firm deepens its focus on energy and climate investments across Africa. She brings nearly two decades of experience in energy access, generation, and transition across the Global South.

Before joining Lightrock, She was a Partner at E3 Capital, where she led and managed investments in smart, decarbonised, and decentralised climate businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa. She was formerly a developer of utility-scale infrastructure – as a Business Development Director at Globeleq and Regional Head of West Africa at eleQtra/PIDG Project Development – Africa (InfraCo).

Funding

AgriCoHub channels GHS 1 million to startups via its innovative cooperative credit union.

Techiman-based AgriCoHub is head-on tackling the access to finance problem with an innovative solution: the Startups Cooperative Credit Union (STARTCCU). Founded by George Antwi-Boasiako, the Startups Cooperative Credit Union is a member-driven financial institution designed to address the unique financial requirements of startups. 

Since its inception, STARTCCU has disbursed over GHS 950,000 in debt financing to more than 300 enterprises, many of which are led by youth, women, and graduates who graduated from AgriCo’s accelerator programs. STARTCCU currently serve a vibrant network of 1,000+ active members, many of whom once saw access to finance as impossible.

Mariseth Farms secures $560k from Sahel Capital to support over 8,000 smallholder farmers. 

Mariseth Farms has secured a $560,000 working capital loan from Sahel Capital, through its Social Enterprise Fund for Agriculture in Africa (SEFAA), to scale its crop aggregation operations and expand fair market access for over 8,000 smallholder farmers, many of whom are women.

Founded in 2016, Mariseth Farms operates across several regions in Ghana, sourcing soybeans, maize, rice, and palm fruit from rural farmers and supplying them to FMCG companies. The company has built a reputation for prioritizing equitable engagement with smallholders, especially women, who are often excluded from traditional market systems.

Milestone

Esoko named one of Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies by Financial Times.

Esoko has been named one of Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies in 2025 by the Financial Times and Statista, earning recognition for transforming digital agriculture across the continent. Between 2020 and 2023, Esoko achieved an absolute revenue growth of 62.8% and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.6%, with revenue growing from $2.92 million to $4.75 million. Over the same period, its team expanded from 23 to 37 employees.

Founded in 2008, Esoko provides real-time weather forecasts, up-to-date market price alerts, personalized agronomic advice, and digital profiling tools that allow for better targeting and delivery of services. It also enables extension officers, agribusinesses, and governments to communicate with farmers using mass SMS platforms tailored for low-connectivity environments.

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