Our team

There are two small groups behind the TAAT Technology e-catalogs: the Technology Profiling team and the AKM Services team. Both teams collaborate very closely to bring to you the best experience, whether you are a Technology Provider offering a technology or a Decision-maker looking for a solution to improve agriculture in Africa. Together, we created the e-catalogs and all the back office systems needed to make them work.

AKM Services are the magicians who transformed our vision into a fast and reactive web-based database, with user-centric interfaces crafted for the best experience we could provide to our users.

The on-going work of the Technology Profiling team populates the e-catalogs with detailed but relevant and clearly expressed information about the technologies we showcase. We strive to explain technologies to those who can decide to adopt them, by presenting them in the best way possible for our audiences.

Technology Profiling – TAAT Clearinghouse (IITA)

Marie Michèle Codja

I am Marie Michèle Codja, holding an MSc in Crop Science, and I serve as a Technology Profiling Consultant at TAAT Clearinghouse. Within TAAT, my role entails sourcing technologies for our database, creating user-friendly profiles, and evaluating them using the Scaling Readiness tool. With my expertise in Crop Science, I am dedicated to utilizing technology to foster agricultural innovation and sustainability throughout Africa. Let's work together to make a difference in African agriculture!

 

Beata Adonon

I am Beata Adonon, a Technology Dissemination consultant at the TAAT program (Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation), holding a Master’s degree in Agronomy. As a Technology Profiler, my role includes collecting, simplifying complex information, and organizing data on agricultural technologies to power the TAAT database and e-catalogs. Drawing upon my expertise in Agronomy, I am committed to leveraging technology to drive agricultural innovation and advance sustainability across Africa.

 

Hardi Hinvi

I am Hardi Hinvi, a Technology Profiling Consultant at TAAT Clearinghouse, holding a Master's degree in Crop Science. My responsibility is to gather, translate, and organize data on agricultural technologies to fuel the TAAT's database and e-catalogs. With a strong background in agriculture and expertise in planning and communication, I strive to create effective and accurate digital catalogs for the private, governmental, and institutional sectors. My goal is to promote the adoption of proven and validated technologies to transform agriculture in Africa.

 

Deborah Ndekatubane

I am Deborah Ndekatubane, a technology profiler in the dynamic TAAT e-catalog team. My role is to unravel the complexities of agricultural technologies and present them in a clear and accessible manner. With a fresh perspective and boundless enthusiasm, I'm passionate about simplifying intricate concepts, empowering my audience to make informed decisions. Beyond work, I delve into the captivating world where technology intersects with agriculture. Join me on this exciting journey as we revolutionize the agriculture landscape together!

 

Bruno Tran

I am Bruno Tran, Scaling Expert at the TAAT Clearinghouse. With my young colleagues from the Technology Profiling team, we designed the concept of the technology database and its e-catalogs and worked closely with the AKM Services team who transferred our ideas into a powerful and user-friendly system that you can access online.

 

AKM Services

Frank Sonntag

I am Frank Sonntag, an atmospheric scientist by training, with nearly 30 years of software development experience, mostly writing custom websites with complex databases and scientific business logic at the core. In the last 20 years I have built a real-time synchronised weather database for the BBC, built numerous databases and content management systems for the digital media sector and in 2012 formed AKM Services to develop systems that help to improve the lives of smallholder farmers. At AKM Services, I have planned, implemented and run a range of specialised content management systems. I am also responsible for hosting and maintaining these systems.


Lisette Slegers

I am Lisette, user experience and interface designer at AKM Services with over 20 years' experience. After having worked for many of the big names in London, I joined forces with Frank in 2017. Although I am traditionally schooled in visual and graphic design, I started working on design and user experience of digital products and services early on in my career. Being curious about the nuts and bolts of websites I have also branched out to front-end development. 


Karin Kilian

I am Karin - having my academic background in geography and biology and a genuine interest in languages, sustainability and information management, I have been supporting software development in various international development projects for many years. Within AKM Services, I am a vigilant bug tracker and a conscientious software tester, as well as AKM's dedicated translator, localizer and documentation writer. I am responsible for data scraping and online research, as well as for the technical user support. 

Latest technologies

SRE: Seed Requirement Estimation Tool for Sweetpotato

Optimize Seed Supply with SRE! The SRE Tool is a web-based application designed to help seed actors—including governments, research institutes, seed enterprises, and NGOs—accurately forecast seed requirements for crops such as sweetpotato, cassava, and yam. It prevents mismatches between seed demand and supply, reduces waste, and enables better allocation of resources, ultimately making seed systems more efficient, profitable, and resilient.

BID Tool: Digital platform for Business Investment Decision

Turning business ideas into investment-ready plans! The Business Investment Decision (BID) Tools provides a structured platform for strengthening policy-driven investment readiness and financial accountability in the agricultural sector. By supporting enterprises in building evidence-based business plans, it equips governments with reliable data to design policies that stimulate private sector growth and improve resource allocation.

Urea deep placement: Nitrogen management for Efficient Rice Fertilization

Boost rice yields and save on fertilizer costs through efficient nitrogen management The technology of Deep Urea Placement offers a significant solution to the challenges of nitrogen fertilizer application in Sub-Saharan Africa's rice paddies. By drilling large urea granules or briquettes into the soil, it allows for a slow release of nitrogen into the root zone of rice crops, improving nutrient uptake, soil fertility, and crop productivity. This approach not only enhances grain yield and quality but also leads to cost savings, additional income for farmers, reduced environmental nitrogen losses, and ultimately contributes to food security and reduced dependence on food imports.