This impact link fund will scale production of local biopesticide and expand training for farmers across the country.
Moshi, Tanzania – December 2025
Plant Biodefenders Limited, a Tanzanian biotech company established in 2019, has secured impact-linked funding to scale its operations. The investment will enable the company to significantly increase the production capacity of its innovative and registered organic biopesticide known as “Vuruga Biocide” and expand its outreach to small holder farmers and women-led training programs. The investment is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by SEAF in partnership with Alpha Mundi Foundation.
Plant biodefenders tackles the critical challenge for Tanzania farmers by manufacturing a solution (Vuruga Biocide) that fights highly destructive and invasive pests that threaten crop yield in Tanzania. This solution combats pests like Tuta absoluta and fall army worm.
Based in Moshi, Plant Biodefenders operates a biotechnology laboratory in partnership with TPHA and TFRA, providing advanced soil, pest, and microbial analysis to support evidence-based farmer advisory services. The company also places women at the center of its scientific and field operations through technical leadership, research roles, and women-led training programs. Plant Biodefenders’ model demonstrates how homegrown science can drive sustainable agriculture, economic inclusion, and climate resilience across Tanzania.
The impact link fund will directly increase Plant Biodefenders’ production capacity from 20,000 liters to 100,000 liters per year, allowing the company to meet rising demand from farmers, cooperatives, and agricultural suppliers nationwide. The funding will also support the company’s commitment to women’s inclusion in the scientific and agricultural workforce, strengthening opportunities for women-led field training, research, and technical leadership
“This investment enables us to scale a solution that was born from scientific research and shaped by the realities of Tanzanian farmers. With expanded production and stronger field support, we can protect more crops, empower more women in agriculture, and strengthen food security using safe, homegrown biotechnology.”
— Dr. Never Zekeya, Founder & CEO, Plant Biodefenders
The company’s model demonstrates how a science-driven enterprise can be a vehicle for economic inclusion.
“This investment is a prime example of how a science-driven enterprise can simultaneously drive economic growth, promote women in STEM, and tackle critical agricultural challenges,” said Ezra Musoke, Managing Director of SEAF Tanzania. “By scaling production of Plant Biodefenders’ organic Vuruga Biocide, which is safe for the environment, preserves soil health, and reduces reliance on chemical pesticides, the company is empowering local farmers while setting a new standard for sustainable and inclusive agriculture in Tanzania.”
Media Contacts:
For more information on this release, contact: Irene Lyamuya | ilyamuya@ceed-tanzania.org
For more information on Daraja Impact, contact: Ezra Musoke | emusoke@seaf.com
About Daraja Impact:
Daraja Impact is a 5-year project that seeks to support enterprises by providing capital and technical assistance to advance inclusion and empowerment for women and youth in Tanzania. The project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (“SDC”) through the Embassy of Switzerland in Tanzania and implemented by SEAF, a global impact organization, in partnership with AlphaMundi Foundation.
About SEAF:
SEAF is a global impact organization dedicated to improving lives and communities through entrepreneurship and small businesses. We invest in debt and equity capital and provide advisory and mentorship to support SMEs in underserved markets, creating jobs and building sustainable communities. Since 1989, SEAF has made more than 433 investments across 46 funds in over 31 countries globally.
About Alpha Mundi Foundation:
AlphaMundi Foundation (AMF) is a US not-for-profit 501(C)(3), with a Kenyan branch based out of Nairobi. AMF provides blended finance products (technical assistance, returnable grants, concessional loans, first loss guarantees, etc.) to scale small and medium-sized businesses operating in Africa and Latin America. AMF supports these companies to incorporate gender- and climate-smart operations that create financial returns and positive social and environmental outcomes.
