Denis Opudo
Landmapp is a Ghanaian based startup that was founded in 2015. The company was founded by Simon Ulvund and Thomas Vaassen. It provides small-scale farmers with a mobile platform which helps them with documentation of their land. Moreover, it gives the farmers products that are fully in line with Ghanaian customary traditions and regulations. Furthermore, the products can grand a high level of security. They can also be used as collateral for securing agricultural loans.
The startup managed to get an undisclosed funding round in February 2017. The funding came from Omidyar Network and it hopes to use it in expanding its customer base. Moreover, the startup has already sold 4,500 documents and mapped 20,000 hectares. But the company has now changed its name to Meridia. However, its functions are still the same and nothing has really changed. The company still has the same team, same function but with new name welcoming a new era. The company incorporates technological tools and expertise on the ground.
Meridia helps farmers in mapping boundaries and validates legal documents. This helps farmers secure their land ownership. It also offers the required transparency and clarity to the communities that are in much need of it. The main goal is to make the land equally distributed and the land used to be accessible to everyone. Meridia has so far spent three months working on its documents delivery ways. Customers are only required to pay the delivery in full. The startup then delivers to them their land documents.
Initially, the move looked like a way of collecting debts. But the founders changed it to land documentation achievement in every home. There was much celebration accompanied by singing, dancing, and pricing from the communities. After that delivery escalated and the company finally got their formula. The next move is now on how to improve and expand on it services.
