| Financing threshold: | €500,000 |
|---|---|
| Maximum issue size: | €2,000,000 |
| Invested so far: | €1,430,000 |
Proven impact & ethical sourcing: Sommalife's direct-to-farmer model connected over 25,000 smallholder women farmers in Ghana to international markets, ensuring fair prices, financial inclusion, climate adaptation and significantly improved livelihoods. This strong social impact aligns with global demand for ethical and sustainable products, driving both purpose and profit.
Solid financial performance & growth: The company demonstrated robust financial health with over USD 5.7 million in revenue, USD 350,000 EBITDA and USD 175,000 in profit after tax last financial year (April 2024 - March 2025). Funds from this round will strategically boost working capital and logistics, while future plans for a local processing facility will de-risk operations and add value for sustained growth.
Competitive advantage through technology & network: Sommalife's proprietary TreeSyt software provides unique digital traceability and supply chain efficiency, a significant competitive advantage. Combined with established relationships with a vast farmer network and key global buyers, this creates strong barriers to entry for competitors.
Large & growing market opportunity: Operating in expanding markets like the global shea butter market with a CAGR of 7% (projected to reach USD 5.58 billion by 2033), Sommalife is well-positioned to capitalize on increasing demand for its core commodities and ethically sourced products.
“At Sommalife, we are dedicated to transforming lives. By directly empowering smallholder women farmers in Ghana, we build a more equitable and sustainable supply chain for vital agro-commodities. This funding round is crucial to expand our logistics, strengthen our supply chain, and grow our team, ensuring even greater impact and market reach. Join us in this impactful journey and invest in a future where fair trade drives prosperity.”
Christina Mawuse Gyisun, Co-founder & COO
Smallholder farmers, predominantly women in West-Africa, often receive low prices for their products due to numerous middlemen in the traditional supply chain. This significantly limits their household income and overall quality of life, preventing them from breaking out of poverty.
Sommalife tackles this by eliminating these middlemen through its inhouse developed software, TreeSyt. This allows Sommalife to enhance traceability to farmers level, connect farmers to international markets and pay the farmers directly at their doorstep. As a result, producers earn over 20% above local market prices, while Sommalife remains price-competitive globally due to the removed commissions.
Sommalife provides pre-financing that gives smallholder farmers crucial income during off-seasons, preventing them from making desperate choices like cutting down trees for charcoal just to feed their families. This financial support breaks the cycle of poverty and environmental destruction by ensuring farmers can meet their immediate needs while preserving valuable forest resources for long-term sustainability.
Sommalife was founded in 2020 by a strong team of founders with deep local expertise, including three Dutch alumni from Delft University of Technology. The company operates with an office in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and an operational office in Ghana.
Their unique business model focuses on boosting farmer income, with impressive results: 81% of farmers report higher earnings and 83% have experienced improved living standards.
The company specializes in key agro-commodities including shea, maize, and soy, serving large global buyers. Achievements include reaching USD 5.7 million in revenue and protecting over 4,000 hectares of shea parklands, demonstrating both profitability and meaningful social and environmental impact.
| Company name: | Sommalife Impact Group B.V. |
|---|---|
| Directors: | JohnCarl Dunyo, Tom Savalle, Christina Mawuse Gyisun |
| Business ID number: | 89478835 |
| Founding year: | 2020 |
| Address: |
Gerard Brandtstraat 4 D, 1054 JJ Amsterdam |
| Industry: | Health and wellness industry |
|---|---|
| Number of employees: | 80 |
| Locations: | Ghana, Burkina Faso, Netherlands |
| Website: | sommalife.com |
| Social media: |
Sommalife offers a unique combination of innovative technology and ethically sourced agro-products, creating a transparent and impactful supply chain from farm to global markets.
Smart sourcing: TreeSyt software - the digital advantage
Sommalife's TreeSyt software is central to its business. This special tool simplifies the entire agro-commodity supply chain. The software's key strength is its full digital traceability. The farmers have to confirm the selling price with voice messaging and finger prints. After procurement, TreeSyt precisely tracks products from the farm to the customer. This ensures complete transparency and quality. This feature is very valuable for big international buyers. These buyers increasingly seek ethically and sustainably sourced products. TreeSyt makes logistics simpler and ensures accountability. This reduces problems for Sommalife. It also builds trust with both farmers and global clients.
Quality products: ethically sourced agro-commodities & cosmetics
Sommalife offers a range of high-quality ethically sourced agro-products. Their Shea Nuts are all-natural and sun-dried, produced by trained local women. From these nuts, they craft Shea Butter, an all-natural, unrefined butter rich in vitamins, ideal for skin and hair care. All products reflect Sommalife’s commitment to quality and empowering rural women producers.
Sommalife is also exploring opportunities with other agro-crops, such as soya beans, to address the seasonality of the shea market and diversify their income streams. This strategic approach helps ensure year-round revenue generation while maintaining strong relationships with their network of smallholder farmers throughout different growing seasons.
Sommalife generates revenue primarily by trading agro-commodities such as shea kernels, shea butter, maize, and soy. The company acts as a direct link between smallholder farmers in Ghana and international markets.
While the revenue streams are transactional based on commodity trading, the strong, established relationships with a large network of over 150,000 profiled smallholder farmers on their platform, and a consistent demand from major international offtakers provide a reliable and recurring flow of business. Sommalife's primary customer segments are large international commodity buyers and they are partnering up with major global players in the industry. These partnerships demonstrate robust demand for Sommalife’s ethically sourced products.
The company operates mainly in Ghana for sourcing and distributes its products to global markets. Barriers to entry in this market, particularly for direct sourcing, include the complexity of managing a vast network of smallholder farmers and establishing trusted relationships, which Sommalife has successfully built over four years. Their proprietary TreeSyt software, which provides digital traceability and streamlines operations, also acts as a significant competitive advantage and a barrier to entry for new competitors. This technological integration, combined with their strong local presence and direct farmer engagement, allows Sommalife to control quality and ensure fair practices, distinguishing them in a competitive commodity market.
Sommalife operates within the dynamic global markets for agro-commodities, primarily focusing on shea nuts and butter, alongside maize and soy.
The global shea butter market alone is valued at approximately USD 2.75 billion, with significant growth projected to reach USD 5.58 billion by 2033. This expansion is driven by increasing demand from both the cosmetics industry and its growing use as a cocoa butter substitute in food production. Ghana’s maize harvest is recovering from last year’s drought, increasing from 2.6 million tonnes in 2024/25 to 3.3 million tonnes in 2025/26. Soybean output is also expected to rise by 29% in 2025/26 compared to the average of the previous five years.
In this market landscape, Sommalife faces competition from other players. However, its market position is strengthened by directly engaging from over 150,000 smallholder farmers, largely eliminating middlemen. This direct approach allows Sommalife to offer price-competitive products globally while ensuring fair prices for farmers.
Sommalife's key competitive advantages and barriers to entry for new competitors include:
The combination of their technology, extensive network, and ethical sourcing model creates a strong competitive advantage. The ability to reduce risks through local processing and expanding into new regions also positions Sommalife for sustained growth among evolving market dynamics and regulations.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs or 'Global Goals') are part of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and constitute the international framework for sustainable development until 2030. These SDGs are intended to put an end to poverty, inequality, and climate change.
Sommalife is a social business deeply focused on creating real social and environmental benefits. They make sustainability a core part of how they operate, tackling important global challenges directly. By supporting fair trade, empowering local people, and using green farming methods, Sommalife helps grow the economy and also protects the environment. This commitment goes beyond just following rules. It's about making a positive change that helps both the people who produce goods and our planet. Sommalife's impact can be measured, showing clear improvements in the lives of many, while keeping nature balanced where they work.
Sommalife strongly supports "Gender Equality" by empowering women farmers in Ghana. Most shea kernel producers are women. Sommalife's direct buying method means these women farmers get over 20% more than local market prices. This happens because middlemen are removed. Getting money directly greatly increases their family income and their financial freedom. A study by 60decibels shows this: 81% of women farmers saw their income go up, and 83% had better living standards. By giving financial power and training, Sommalife actively removes barriers. This creates equal chances and improves the position of women in rural areas.
Sommalife is very committed to "Life on Land" through its active environmental care in Ghana. The company focuses on farming practices that protect and bring back natural environments. These are key for farming that lasts a long time. For example, they have set up 30 community nurseries. These nurseries are vital for growing new plants and helping with reforestation. Also, Sommalife has successfully protected over 400 hectares of important shea parklands. This helps keep nature diverse and protects important living spaces. For the future, the company plans to plant more trees and might sell carbon credits. These plans show Sommalife is serious about fighting climate change, protecting different types of life, and keeping the land healthy for the long term.
Sommalife has a seasoned and diverse leadership team, strategically structured with an operational entity in Ghana and a holding company in the Netherlands. This setup allows for strong local operational management combined with robust administration, fundraising, and business development efforts. The team's collective expertise in agritech, finance, community development, and technology is a significant asset, directly contributing to Sommalife's success and scalability.
Co-founder & CEO
JohnCarl Dunyo, co-founder and CEO, brings over a decade of invaluable experience in agritech and project management. His past leadership roles, including steering World Bank and Unicef projects in Ghana, demonstrate a deep understanding of local agricultural ecosystems and a proven ability to manage large-scale development initiatives.
Co-founder & COO
Christina Mawuse Gyisun, Sommalife's co-founder and COO, is a key strength for the company. She grew up in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Her work in the market and community visits connected her to rural women, who attempt a lot of economic activities, but still remain poor. To help these women out of poverty she started Sommalife. She has a degree in Development Communication and over 8 years of experience in rural development in renown institutions like GIZ. Her background covers community work, farm advice, and administration, always focusing on rural growth. Her communication skills are vital for building strong relationships with Sommalife's many smallholder farmers. Her wide experience in community development and agricultural advice helps her manage daily operations effectively.
Co-founder & CFO
Tom Savalle is Chief Financial Officer and co-founder of Sommalife. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Technology, Policy & Management and a master’s in Transport & Logistics from TU Delft. Earlier in his career he spent over five years managing finances in consulting, hospitality, corporate and non-profit organisations, and successfully returned a €3 million business to stable profit. At Sommalife, Tom has built a finance system that links several legal entities and currencies. Automated consolidation and real-time reports now let the team close the books in minutes and provide investors with clear, up-to-date figures, crucial for the company’s expansion in West Africa.
Co-founder & Business Intelligence Manager
Joost Westerhout, co-founder and Business Intelligence Manager, brings essential technical expertise to Sommalife's data-driven approach to agricultural development. With a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and MSc in Sustainable Energy Technology from TU Delft, he combines solid engineering skills with clean technology focus and deep understanding of systems optimization.
Joost's deep connection to Ghana runs through his family, his father was born there, and his grandfather served as a lecturer in tropical agriculture in Accra for five years, inspiring Joost's official Ghanaian name Kofi. This multi-generational tie to Ghanaian agriculture drives his commitment beyond professional obligation, ensuring that Sommalife's technology infrastructure translates analytics into higher farmer incomes and better climate action.
Co-founder & Business Development Manager
Willem Oomens is co-founder of Sommalife and leads Business Development, creating solutions that support its social and environmental goals.
With design degrees from TU Delft, he brings expertise in tackling complex challenges. He led Sommalife’s international growth, built strong buyer networks, and expanded its product range.
Willem also secured key funding and develops initiatives like the carbon credit programme, linking sustainability with business value.
Sommalife operates with a dual structure designed for efficient local execution and strategic global management. Investors invest in the Holding Company based in the Netherlands. This structure provides a familiar and robust legal and administrative framework for fundraising and international business development.
The company consists of:
This integrated structure allows Sommalife to leverage local expertise for its core agricultural operations while benefiting from an international presence for finance and strategic growth, offering investors a clear pathway for engagement within a well-managed framework.
Sommalife seeks Invesdor funds to strategically fuel growth. The primary allocation is working capital for smooth daily operations and managing increased trade. A substantial portion will acquire transportation vehicles (trucks, pick-ups, motorbikes) to enhance logistical control, speed cycles, and reduce costs, alongside increasing the workforce to scale capacity.
Overall, funds will expand the supply chain, boost operational control, and de-risk the business for long-term sustainability. In case we reach the maximum target we will use 20% of the funds for investing in talent and software development to manage the assets and working capital to the best of our capacity.
(€500,000 collected in the financing round)
100% Working capital – Sommalife will use this funding to purchase products directly from farmers, enabling higher trading volumes and supporting day-to-day operations.
(€1,250,000 collected in the financing round)
60% Working capital – Sommalife will use this funding to purchase products directly from farmers, enabling higher trading volumes and supporting day-to-day operations.
40% Asset financing – Invested in vehicles such as trucks and motorbikes to enhance logistics, speed up distribution, and reduce transportation costs. This allows Sommalife to acquire essential assets without straining cash reserves.
(€2,000,000 collected in the financing round)
60% Working capital – Sommalife will use this funding to purchase products directly from farmers, enabling higher trading volumes and supporting day-to-day operations.
20% Asset financing – Invested in vehicles such as trucks and motorbikes to enhance logistics, speed up distribution, and reduce transportation costs. This allows Sommalife to acquire essential assets without straining cash reserves.
10% Talent attraction – To hire skilled staff and expand operational capacity in line with the company’s growth.
10% Software development – To develop digital tools that improve asset tracking, working capital oversight, and overall supply chain efficiency.
In this update section you will find new, project-relevant information that we receive.
Invesdor does not conduct a separate review of information received after the start of the financing phase.
After nearly two years of preparation, Sommalife has achieved the prestigious B Corp certification. The verification process took longer than usual, as the company fell under no fewer than five impact business models, which led to an especially thorough review.
With an impressive score of 99.4, Sommalife has far exceeded the minimum threshold of 80 points, a clear recognition of the company’s deep commitment to social and environmental impact.
This certification confirms that Sommalife is not only creating financial value, but is also actively contributing to a better world, for people, communities, and the planet. A proud milestone for a company that puts purpose at the heart of everything it does.
Below is a response to a question regarding Sommalife and this investment opportunity. Questions submitted directly by investors are clearly indicated, with answers provided by Sommalife. Please note: Invesdor is not responsible for the content of these responses, as they have been prepared solely by Sommalife.
If you have additional questions, feel free to reach out through our customer support.
The global shea butter market reached significant value in 2023, with estimates ranging from $2.0 to $2.8 billion across various research sources. The most common valuation was around $2.2-2.3 billion.
For 2024, market data shows consistent growth with estimates ranging from $2.1 to $2.78 billion, with average market value around $2.3-2.5 billion. The market exhibits strong growth trends with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.8% to 8.6%, with most sources agreeing on approximately 7-7.5% CAGR.
Key Growth Drivers:
Looking ahead, the shea butter market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7–7.5% through 2030. This growth trajectory suggests the market could surpass $3 billion within just a few years, driven by rising global demand and expanding applications across industries. The shift toward natural and organic products provides a structural tailwind, while the premium pricing for ethically sourced ingredients offers attractive margins.
With strong fundamentals and clear market momentum, shea butter is well-positioned as a future-proof ingredient in a rapidly evolving global economy. As shea is the main commodity of Sommalife, Sommalife is well positioned for sustained growth in the coming years.
With Asia-Pacific showing 11%+ growth and established markets in Europe and North America remaining strong, Sommalife can benefit from both geographic diversification and market penetration opportunities.
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