Lessons from Building an Agritech Startup: A Conversation with Soraya Hosni

Yale’s Social Impact Lab recently hosted Soraya Hosni, Yale World Fellow and founder of Clever Harvest, for an insightful discussion on the realities of building an agritech startup. In her talk, Hosni shared candid reflections on the entrepreneurial journey, the complexities of food security, and the challenges of balancing impact with business sustainability.

“Being on the land is truly my happy place,” Hosni began, describing how her firsthand experience with farming shaped the vision for Clever Harvest. Witnessing inefficiencies and other challenges in food production and distribution, she sought to create solutions that were designed by and for the people most affected by them.

Hosni emphasized the gap between technologically advanced countries and regions rich in agricultural resources but lacking digital infrastructure, and demonstrated how Clever Harvest works to bridge that divide. “I believe that by mixing talents between technologically advanced countries and countries that have a wealth of resources, young people and ideas, then we can come up with the most suited impact-driven solutions,” she explained.

Clever Harvest enhances food security through enterprise and predictive software, offering a real-time inventory system, sourcing transparency, and fair market access for farmers. Hosni stressed that the global food crisis is not one of supply, but rather of coordination. “We don’t have a food supply problem—we have a food trading issue,” she said, pointing to regulatory barriers, currency instability, and inefficient sourcing mechanisms as key challenges. One of Clever Harvest’s major innovations is solving for the first mile of food production. While much attention is given to last-mile logistics, Hosni believes coordinating the initial stages of the supply chain is just as crucial. “If we know where the food is, who’s producing it, and ensure fair compensation, we can transform agricultural markets.”

Hosni also offered an unfiltered look at the startup world, highlighting the pressures and pitfalls many founders face. She described the tension between staying true to a mission and adapting to the expectations of funders, especially in Africa where she says that “a lot of people just invest in [training programs] but not in the startups.” Hosni warned against changing your business just to fit a program’s or a funder’s agenda, and to assess if the decisions make business-sense before attempting to adapt to the framework presented.

She also shared insights on the personal aspects of leadership, including resilience, growth, and the demands of executive roles. Hosni highlighted the experience of non-technical founders in the startup ecosystem and underscored the importance of a strong support network in navigating entrepreneurship. She emphasized key lessons in building co-founder relationships, making strategic hiring decisions, and conducting thorough due diligence on both investors and employees to ensure long-term success.

Hosni stressed the importance of involving legal advisors from the outset, and when asked about accessing these resources as young, cash-strapped companies, Hosni recommended leveraging legal clinics and other institutional resources to navigate complex regulations. She also advocated for alternative financing models beyond venture capital, recognizing the intense pressure VC-backed startups face to scale rapidly. “Not all companies should go the VC route,” she said, encouraging founders to explore diversified funding sources such as bank loans and strategic corporate investments.

Hosni’s talk was a rare blend of unvarnished honesty and unwavering optimism—an essential reality check for any aspiring entrepreneur. She reminded founders that success isn’t just about raising funds or scaling quickly, but about building impact that endures. By staying grounded in their mission, making smart strategic decisions, and surrounding themselves with the right people, founders can navigate the challenges of social entrepreneurship with resilience and purpose.