• Kenyan entrepreneur Cherotich Rutto founded agritech startup Tawi in 2023 to connect farmers directly with institutional buyers and reduce reliance on intermediaries.
• The platform serves hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals and food retailers through a transparent online procurement system.
• Tawi combines digital commerce, logistics support and farmer advisory services to improve incomes, boost productivity and reduce post-harvest losses.

Kenyan entrepreneur Cherotich Rutto, a data science specialist, is transforming agricultural supply chains across East Africa. She founded Tawi in 2023 and currently serves as the company's chief executive officer. The startup specializes in the marketing and distribution of fresh agricultural products.

Tawi reduces the role of intermediaries by connecting local farmers directly with institutional buyers. Its client base includes hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals, catering companies and food retailers. Through the platform, Rutto aims to make agricultural trade more efficient, transparent and equitable for all participants.

For institutional buyers, Tawi offers an online ordering system that simplifies inventory management. The platform displays prices transparently and provides rapid delivery services across several regions of Kenya.

The system allows food service operators to save time while securing reliable sources of supply. As a result, buyers gain greater visibility over procurement costs and product availability. For farmers, the digital platform creates a consistent commercial outlet and improves earning opportunities. Beyond matching buyers and sellers, Tawi provides technical guidance and digital tools that help producers optimize agricultural output. The company uses this comprehensive support model to increase productivity sustainably and significantly reduce post-harvest waste.

Before launching her agritech venture, Cherotich Rutto built a strong academic background. She earned a bachelor's degree in economics, commerce and English from University of Delhi in 2005. She later obtained a Master of Business Administration from United States International University-Africa in 2014. She also completed a diploma in data science at London School of Economics and Political Science in 2020.

Rutto began her professional career in 2001 at the Kenyan subsidiary of Barclays. In 2006, she joined Standard Chartered Bank, where she served as a sales representative and later as a product manager. She expanded her pan-African experience in 2015 when she moved to Ghana to lead commercial operations and sales at financial services company afb.

One year later, she returned to Standard Chartered Bank in Kenya. She continued to serve as a product manager until 2020, building expertise in financial services, commercial operations and business development before transitioning into entrepreneurship.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange J. A de Berry Quenum