Company aims to advance innovation in agriculture and food systems
COLUMBIA, Md., (February 19, 2026) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced a recent $200,000 Pre-Seed Builder Fund investment in Ufarmx.
"At UfarmX, we've embarked on what many consider mission impossible—building credit infrastructure for African agriculture," said Alexander Zanders, CEO and 2025 Black Ambition Grand Prize Winner. "Our patented AI technology has successfully made individual smallholder farmers lendable for the first time in history. The significance of this cannot be overstated: over 90% of farmers in our markets lack access to institutional finance, forcing them to produce at rates 11 times less per acre than their potential. This matters globally because Africa possesses 70% of the world's remaining farmable land and nearly 600 million farmers. As global supply chains shift, the onus may eventually fall on this continent to feed the world and prevent global food crises. With TEDCO's investment, we're scaling the infrastructure to make that possible."
Ufarmx, located in Elkridge, Md., is an AI-powered agritech and fintech platform that aims to connect smallholder farmers to collateral-free financing, quality agricultural inputs and reliable markets. Its technology uses geospatial and socioeconomic data to assess credit risk, working to unlock funding for farmers who are traditionally underserved by formal financial systems, while also providing data-driven insights and procurement solutions that could enable farmers to increase yield and improve profitability.
“Through the Social Impact Builder Fund, TEDCO works to support founders whose companies create market rate returns and outsized impacts,” said Jean-Luc Park, TEDCO’s deputy chief investment officer & senior director of Social Impact Funds. “Ufarmx’s solution exemplifies a transformative potential to reimagine agricultural and financial systems globally.”
TEDCO’s Pre-Seed Builder Fund provides pairs funding with hands-on support. Portfolio companies gain access to mentorship, operational guidance and TEDCO’s statewide network, helping founders navigate early growth and prepare for future investment.
“Maryland continues to produce entrepreneurs who are tackling global challenges with innovative technology-driven solutions,” said TEDCO CEO, Troy LeMaile-Stovall. “By investing in companies like Ufarmx, TEDCO is reinforcing its commitment to inclusive innovation and to founders who are building businesses that create economic opportunity both locally and abroad.”
TEDCO delivers funding, expertise and connections to help early-stage technology and life sciences companies start, grow, and scale in Maryland. Entrepreneurs interested in TEDCO’s Social Impact Funds can visit tedcomd.com/funding/social-impact-funds.