Virunga Biotech Ltd
Description
Virunga Biotech is a Rwanda-based agribusiness exporting fresh produce (bitter gourd, french beans, green chili, okra, red chili, ridge gourd and sponge gourd) to Europe and UK based customers. As of 2022 (Q2), we have exported 306 metric tons to customers in France, Germany, Italy and the UK. 100% of our exported fresh produce is grown by coops and small scale farmers. Our integrated operations include financing and providing technical assistance to farmers.
Market Opportunity/ Problem
Virunga Biotech currently cannot meet its demand of 160 tons per month as we have been supplying only 60 tons per month due to manual processing and the short shelf life of fresh produce. The completion of the new pack-house by November 2022 will allow us to increase the shelf life and process 160 tons per month. Europe’s and UK’s increased need for fresh food has helped to open up opportunities for exporting as these regions cannot grow these high value vegetables in Q1, Q2 and Q4 due to climatic conditions and the requirement for large numbers of manual staff. In order to complement the fresh produce processing and to ensure pack-house runs throughout the year, we plan to set up an avocado oil and gherkins (pickles) processing line in new pack-house.
Company Information
Years of operation
5
Type of organization
Sole Proprietorship
Stage of the business
Mature
Agribusiness focus
Value addition/ processing
Agriculture value chain(s) focus?
Food crops
Primary country of operation
Rwanda
Other country(ies) of operation
N/A
How many employees does your business have?
100
Does the business have more than 30% women ownership?
Yes
Does the business have more than 30% youth ownership (under 35 years)?
Yes
Financing and expansion overview
How much capital is the company currently fundraising (US$)?
$1,500,000
What is the split between equity and debt?
Debt: 90% Equity: 10%