Alexander Zanders Launches UfarmX to Bridge Africa’s Agri-Finance Gap

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Baltimore native Alexander Zanders sold his cryptocurrency holdings and bought 100 acres of farmland in Nigeria – a move that sparked the launch of UfarmX, an agri-fintech platform empowering smallholder farmers across Africa.

Zanders, a Temple University graduate and former global device trader, had spent years traveling across Africa, studying its agricultural value chain. Witnessing low yields despite fertile land, he discovered the core issue wasn’t farming skill but lack of access to quality seeds, fertilizers, and financing.

Testing his theory during the pandemic, Zanders provided 15 local farmers with inputs on credit. Within one season, yields tripled, revenues doubled, and UfarmX was born.

The platform uses AI, proprietary software, and field data to create digital credit profiles for farmers traditionally excluded from banking due to lack of collateral or credit history. By logging GPS coordinates, crop cycles, input history, and smartphone use, UfarmX enables farmers to secure financing, scale production, and increase profitability.

“It’s not just data – it’s dignity,” Zanders said. “We’re building infrastructure for the people who feed the world.”

UfarmX is currently operating in Nigeria, Senegal, and Liberia – and has plans to expand into Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Kenya.