https://www.theafricareport.com/365513/three-african-green-tech-startups-to-watch
Posted on November 2, 2024 10:00
Meet three startups, from Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo, that are harnessing technology to provide simple, viable solutions to energy and food security in Africa.
The success of Africa’s energy transition is not just being built in high-level meetings like COP29 and governmental meetings but by startups at the cutting edge of energy efficiency and agricultural innovation. Here are three of them.
1. Meier Energy, Morocco’s standard-bearer for energy efficiency
Founded in 2020 by Fouad El Kohen, Meier Energy offers businesses tailor-made solutions to kick-start their energy transition. In just four years, it has established itself as one of the leading start-ups in Morocco and is already exporting outside the country.
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The Greentech company, which was set up at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, manufactures equipment that helps companies to save energy. The equipment produced at its two production sites, in particular measuring sensors, is intended for energy production units such as photovoltaic power stations and measures the energy used by its customers.
“It’s a young company dedicated to the development and marketing of energy efficiency, electricity and smart grid equipment,” says founder El Kohen. “Our ambition is to support the ecological transition in both Morocco and Africa.” Another service offered by El Kohen and his 30 employees is decision support, with customers supported throughout their energy transition.
Made in Morocco
Meier Energy mainly targets small and medium-sized businesses operating in the tertiary sector. Although Morocco has a skilled workforce, public initiatives have unfortunately not kept pace. “It’s a market that’s still developing in Morocco, but it’s not yet structured,” says El Kohen.
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In July, the Moroccan government selected the company to join an incubation programme for Moroccan SMEs. Under the aegis of the Moroccan Agency for the Development of Investment and Exports, 341 first-time exporters and 177 exporters will receive support over two years to help them tackle the international market. “Today, 80% of our sales are in Morocco and 20% are exported,” the founder told PV Magazine. “We aim to reverse this proportion.”
Barcelona branch
The company, which does not disclose its figures or customers, opened a branch in Barcelona in 2023, with the Spanish office aiming to steer the group’s expansion in Europe. “Today, it’s easier to find customers in Europe. We are also targeting other markets, such as the Middle East and Latin America. More generally, the markets we are targeting with our products are the industrial markets,” says El Kohen, who has been in the industry for 20 years. As far as sub-Saharan Africa is concerned, the start-up remains tight-lipped about its activities and ambitions.
2. BioAni, the Ivorian start-up that wants to bid goodbye to chemical fertilisers
BioAni sells organic fertilisers produced using black soldier fly larvae, products that are much cheaper than chemical fertilisers. All that remains is for them to convince farmers to change their habits.
It all began in a garage in Abidjan’s Cocody district with food waste and a few larvae. The insects transform this bio-waste into a particularly effective organic fertiliser. Founder Arthur de Dinechin wanted to get involved in an environmental project in Africa, his adopted continent. After trying his hand at plastic recycling, his thoughts turned to agriculture.
“Here in Côte d’Ivoire, millions of people make their living from farming. There are very few resources in place to help them make a profit from this activity,” he says.
After much research, his choice fell on black soldier flies, which he calls “the perfect detritivorous insect” – meaning those that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus. Once he had mastered the process, in 2021 he founded BioAni, a low-tech start-up, and launched the product named Frass, a natural fertiliser. Today, the company processes 2 tonnes of organic waste per day.
UN support
The fertiliser produced by BioAni is, according to its founder, eight times cheaper than chemical fertilisers. It is sold to cooperatives and banana and cocoa farms. “When we canvassed farmers they were reluctant, [because] we’ve been telling them for years that chemicals are the ideal,” says the entrepreneur.
The company employs 14 people and has production sites in Grand-Bassam and Abidjan. The aim is to open new farms next year, including one in Yamoussoukro. The start-up is supported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and in partnership with the UN agency and the Circular Economy Institute in Abidjan. BioAni is trying to convince local people, particularly women, to work with black soldier flies to produce fertiliser and feed for farm animals.
European investors
Having followed the project closely, Isabel Albinelli, a bioeconomy specialist at FAO, is enthusiastic. “We were expecting farmers to hold back because this organic fertiliser is based on the excrement of larvae that feed on waste,” she explains on the organisation’s website. “But the fertiliser produced is so effective and inexpensive, not to mention locally available, that more and more farmers are buying it.”
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Initially self-financed, the start-up has successfully raised its first round of financing from European investors. The amount is still confidential, but the company is planning a second round of funding in the coming months to finance expansion in West and Southern Africa.
3. GreenBox, the storage solution changing Congolese farmers’ lives
GreenBox enables farmers in the Democratic Republic of Congo to store their fruit and vegetables for three weeks instead of two days, using new technology that gives farmers access to remote control of solar-powered cold rooms. These refrigerators also make it possible to establish the state of ripeness of a stored product and ensure its traceability. Its five installations, spread across as many villages, enable customers’ harvests to be monitored in real-time.
Founder Divin Kouebatouka says: “Storage is centralised for the whole village. The cold room is managed by a cooperative. We make racks available to farmers so that they can store their produce. We can’t rent to everyone, so it’s first come, first served.”
For CFA200 a day (around $0.10), farmers are provided with a locker that can hold 30kg of food. “Small farmers, our core target, can’t buy a cold room. That’s why we’ve introduced daily, weekly and monthly rates. Everyone can choose the subscription that suits them best, which is nothing compared to the value of the products they entrust to us,” says Kouebatouka. In addition to his team of 12 employees, a group of five women is responsible for the daily maintenance and management of the cold rooms.
Sell when demand is high
One particular feature of the application is its ability to analyse and trace each stored product. “We have the name of the owner of the crop, its date of entry and its state of preservation. If it’s a tomato, for example, the application alerts us as soon as the process of decomposition begins,” explains Kouebatouka. To keep food at a temperature of 5°C, each fridge is fitted with solar panels which generate 5.5KW of electricity. The system keeps fruit and vegetables fresh for as long as possible, allowing growers to sell at times of high demand.
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Another service offered by the GreenBox is customer contact. “Villagers can’t go into town regularly so we do it for them, whether it’s [to meet] with market vendors or supermarkets. It’s a strategy that enables us to sell fruit and vegetables while increasing the income of our farmers,” says Kouebatouka. This also enables him to monitor prices and advise his customers on the best times to sell.
Interest around the continent
The 33-year-old engineer has been working on this project since he was a child. The project won the African App 2024 Challenge organised by RFI and France24. The prize was €15,000 ($16,312), and this sum will be used to extend the technology to other villages to export it to other countries on the African continent. “Some farmers have contacted us to see if we could work with them, but they’re abroad. We want to develop in our main market first,” said Kouebatouka.
His start-up is self-financed, thanks to the competitions he has won, and he receives assistance from international organisations, including the Alliance for Rural Electrification, a Belgian NGO, and the Italian NGO Rise for Africa. Kouebatouka is vague about raising funds in the future, waving his hand and saying: “We’ll do that when the time comes.”