We are excited to announce the appointment of Mr Richard Sears to the iSDA Board of Directors. With a diverse career spanning across multiple sectors including technology, finance and non-profit work, Richard is an accomplished entrepreneur and investor. His extensive global experience covers regions such as Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America, where he has successfully launched multiple ventures, non-profits, and funds.
Our New Board Member
Richard currently serves as Investment Director at Kuvi Capital, where he leads venture and private equity investments, managing a portfolio of 25 companies across Europe, Africa, and the U.S. Prior to this, he played a key role as Head of Ventures at The Baobab Network, an accelerator supporting early-stage African tech companies. His work has empowered over 25 start-ups across 11 African countries, in partnership with global investors and corporations.
He also co-founded YAGRO, a UK-based agritech company, where his focus on data-driven solutions helped farmers improve their decision-making for profitability and sustainability. Richard also co-founded GroupLeader.com, a travel tech platform, and was instrumental in its strategic expansion and acquisition.
In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Richard is deeply passionate about education and social impact. He founded the charities United World Schools and The Tuk Tuk Educational Trust, both aimed at improving access to education in marginalized communities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. His adventurous spirit also led him to set a world record by circumnavigating the globe in a tuk tuk to raise awareness for education, a feat that earned him global media attention and two TEDx talks!
For iSDA, Richard will bring a unique blend of expertise in technology, finance, and social impact. His experience in scaling tech start-ups and investing in high-impact ventures positions him to contribute significantly to iSDA’s mission of leveraging cutting-edge research and AI to support smallholder farmers. His enthusiasm for iSDA stems from its potential to scale agronomic solutions across Africa, helping farmers increase yields, improve quality, and raise incomes sustainably.
iSDA and Richard Sears
In a brief Q&A, we spoke with Richard about his career, what excites him about joining iSDA, and his thoughts on the opportunities ahead. Continue reading to find out more about Richard, his passions and his hopes for iSDA.
What interests you the most about iSDA’s mission?
Research shows agricultural development is the most effective way to reduce poverty and hunger. iSDA can be at the forefront of this field (excuse the pun), where cutting edge research science and artificial intelligence combine to empower smallholder farmers with agronomic support and advice to increase yields, raise quality and boost incomes.
Already serving tens of thousands of farmers across Africa and delivering 50%+ yield increases, the team is really onto something here. What interests me most is how to scale to this to impact the lives of millions of smallholder farmers across Africa and beyond.
What areas of expertise or unique experiences do you have that you can contribute to the board?
Though I’ve worked in the non-profit space before, it’s my experience in technology and finance that I can really bring to the table here. I am privileged to have worked with and invested in some of the leading founders across Africa and in the AI space.
Working in venture has taught me how to pursue and unlock opportunities at scale, while working in private equity has taught me how to find a way to do so in a profitable and sustainable way. I hope this perspective can help contribute in some small way to achieving the ambitious goals we set ourselves and delivering long-term, sustainable impact.
What are you particularly proud of in your past work?
In my previous work, I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve taken risks and have always pursued my passions and interests. My path has been non-traditional and there have been many, many bumps in the road, but I’m lucky to have worked on projects that mean a great deal to me, alongside people who genuinely inspire me.
What are some of your personal achievements? What do you like to do in your spare time?
I drove around the world in a tuk tuk – a world record and a world first – which if not my greatest achievement, is certainly the craziest! I have two sons who largely occupy any spare time I have. When I can escape, I enjoy walking the dog and the headspace that provides, I’ve got really into padel tennis recently, and I love plotting new business adventures with friends.
We are thrilled to have Richard Sears on board and look forward to his contributions to iSDA. His expertise will be critical as we continue to refine our Virtual Agronomist AI service and drive more sustainable positive change in local economies, crop health and food systems.
Stay connected with iSDA as we continue to build a bright future with the help of Richard Sears and our dedicated team. Follow us on LinkedIn for all of our latest news and updates!
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