A Founder’s Vision: Transforming Cambodian Farm Financing
Agriculture has always been at the heart of Cambodian life, yet smallholder farmers struggle with low productivity, unsustainable practices, and mounting debt. For Sokkim Neak, this challenge is deeply personal. Growing up in a rural farming family, she witnessed first-hand the difficulties farmers face in improving their livelihoods.
This motivated her to found her first agritech business at the age of 18, developing smart irrigation systems. Although the idea was promising, most farmers could not afford it as loan repayments consumed most of their income. The core issue was lack of fair financing models. Many banks hesitated to lend to small farmers due to a lack of reliable data.
Our mission became clear—to make risk information available to financial institutions, and to de-risk agriculture as a whole.
To close this gap, Sokkim and her co-founders launched KonektAgri in 2024. Their goal: reduce the risks of agricultural loans by providing lenders with better information on crops and yields. This enables banks to detect early signs of crop distress and manage uncertainties, while bringing farmers into the formal financial system.
Convinced by the idea, the Digital & Green Innovation Accelerator (DGIx) Cambodia selected the start-up as one of seven ventures supporting the country’s digital and green transition. Through mentorship and funding, DGIx helped refine the platform and strengthen its value for farmers and lenders. Even at pilot stage, financial institutions report lower costs and reduced credit risk, while farmers gain faster access to tailored loans.
For Sokkim, the partnership confirms that farming can offer dignity and opportunity rather than debt and uncertainty. By backing local entrepreneurs like Sokkim Neak, DGIx Cambodia, under the EU’s Global Gateway, demonstrates how international and local collaboration can deliver inclusive and sustainable innovation.
If we succeed, Cambodia can strengthen its competitiveness by leaning into our greatest strength: agriculture.
Sokkim Neak, COO and Co-Founder of KonektAgri