The story of Riches Attai, founder and CEO of Winich Farms, speaks of audacity, courage and vision. That, it is not enough building an Agritech startup in the usual playbook.
Instead, one must be ready to engineer a movement to transform Africa’s agricultural supply chain through simple but strong technology.
For one thing, Attai’s journey has demonstrated how founders can forge a new path. From his roots in rural entrepreneurship to standing on global stages, he is today one of the continent’s most distinguished voices in agritech.
In the Beginning
Long before leading one of Africa’s most talked-about agritech startups, his first venture, Attai’s Consumption, was a modest business. But for Attai, it wasn’t just about buying and selling, it was a window into the realities of Nigeria’s agro value chain.
It was during those early days that the idea for Winich Farms was born. That seed of an idea is now flourishing into a full-fledged agritech movement.
Recently in a video interview, Diary of an African Entrepreneur, Attai cited how his quest for more out of life pushed him to dream big into the much celebrated Winich.
Education
Armed with a degree in Economics and Statistics from the University of Benin, Attai combined analytical rigour with hands-on entrepreneurial spirit.
His academic training seems to give him a structural understanding of markets, while his on-the-field experiences provided the insight needed to design real-world solutions.
But it was through Orange Corners, a youth entrepreneurship initiative powered by the Kingdom of Netherlands and Fate Foundation, that Attai first came into the national spotlight.
The programme not only validated his early work but also sharpened his business acumen. Recognition soon followed. Riches was named among the Top 20 Young Entrepreneurs in Nigeria, and nominated for the SME100 AFRICA 25 Under 25 Awards.
Global Recognition and Local Impact
While Winich Farms began as a local solution, it’s rapidly becoming a continental blueprint for agricultural transformation.
Under Attai’s leadership, the company has expanded to reach tens of thousands of farmers across Kwara, Benue, Kebbi, and Taraba, creating a reliable path from farm to market.
What we know
More than 60,000 smallholder farmers are now on the platform, many of whom have been issued Winich-branded ID cards tied to their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), making them eligible for credit and insurance for the first time.
And the accolades keep coming.
In May 2024, Winich Farms was crowned Best Agritech in Africa at the Global Startup Awards Africa, an achievement Attai humbly credits to his team’s relentless dedication.
Last year, Attai represented Winich at the Plug and Play Tech Center Summit in Silicon Valley, presenting the company’s supply chain solutions to global investors and corporate partners.
Earlier in the year, Attai also took the stage at GITEX Africa 2024 in Marrakech, one of the continent’s largest gatherings for technology and innovation, where he spoke on “Traceability and Agro Supply Chain Efficiency in Africa”.
These international appearances are key platforms for cross-continental collaboration and investment, helping scale Winich’s solutions to new frontiers.
Riches Attai-Leading the Charge in African Agritech
What sets Riches Attai apart is not just his clarity of vision but his belief in the power of technology. His approach is on unlocking value for farmers.
Whether it’s embedding finance in the hands of smallholder farmers, re-engineering logistics routes to reduce exposure to insecurity, or simply ensuring that the farmer who grows the food earns a fair price, Attai’s model is deeply human-centred.
As Winich Farms prepares for the next phase of expansion, backed by the recent six-figure dollar extension to its $3 million pre-Series A round from DisrupTech Ventures, the young founder appears focused on making Africa’s food systems more efficient and future-ready.
Talking Point
Watching Attai’s journey, from Attai’s Consumption to leading Winich Farms boardroom, we think he has become an inspiration for young Africans dreaming big.
