Agritech startup Arya.ag gets $19.8 Mn debt commitment from DFC

Grain commerce platform Arya.ag has secured a $19.8 million commitment from the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to guarantee a debt facility for its agri-commerce subsidiary, Aryatech.

Arya.ag has become the first agritech startup to get close to secure two financing rounds in 2024, following a $29 million equity raise in July. 

The new funds will bolster Arya.ag’s capacity to connect farmers and farmer producer organizations (FPOs) with buyers nationwide, ensuring payment security, transaction transparency, and better market access, as noted in the company’s press release.

Arya.ag connects sellers and buyers of agricultural products, facilitating efficient commerce and reducing waste to benefit the entire market. By integrating warehouse discovery, farmgate-level storage, finance, and market linkages, the company offers an end-to-end solution that builds trust across the agricultural value chain.

Currently operating in 60% of India’s districts, Arya.ag manages over 11,000 agri-warehouses and claims to aggregate and store $3 billion worth of grain annually, while facilitating the disbursement of over $1.5 billion in loans to smallholder farmers, FPOs, and other stakeholders.

Arya.ag reported a profit for the fiscal year ending March 2023. The company’s gross scale grew by 49.48% year-on-year to Rs 290 crore in FY23, while its profit surged 11-fold to Rs 7.58 crore during the same period. According to the company, its net revenue rose to Rs 360 crore in FY24, with a net profit of Rs 17 crore. Arya.ag has yet to file its audited annual report for the last fiscal year.

Arya.ag competes with companies like DeHaat, Ninjacart, and Bijak.

Following a substantial fundraising boom in 2021 and 2022, agritech startups are now facing challenges in securing venture capital for larger funding rounds. Data compiled by TheKredible indicates that agritech startups have raised approximately $170 million across more than 30 deals in 2024 to date.