Koko Networks
KOKO is a clean technology company operating in Kenya and India, which imagines and delivers technology to improve life in the world’s fastest-growing cities. In the core business, KOKO runs a Network of 700 Clean Fuel ATMs inside neighbourhood shops across Nairobi, with continent-wide expansion plans now that the business model has been proven at scale. This unique technology solution enables the safe and low-cost distribution of bio-ethanol cooking fuel for Nairobi households, providing a safer, faster, cleaner, more affordable solution than charcoal, kerosene, or firewood.
Sanergy
Sanergy, founded in 2011, is an industry leader in managing and upcycling organic(sanitation, agricultural, and market/kitchen) waste – into valuable agrarian inputs and renewable energy. Operating the largest organic recycling factory in the East African region, Sanergy has designed and built safe collection networks, which aggregate all of these waste streams in Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi. Once collected, it is transported to their factory for treatment and upcycling using innovative and cost-effective technologies developed in-house. In the end, they produce multiple safe and high-quality products, including biomass briquettes for industrial fuel, insect protein for animal feed, and organic fertilizer for farms.
Their closed-loop, zero-waste solution ensures waste that would otherwise harm the environment is transformed into high-quality sustainable products, offsetting over 50,000T CO2 per year and contributing to the achievement of the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Acacia Innovations
Acacia Innovations is the largest supplier of clean cooking fuels to schools and small businesses in Kenya. They recycle sugarcane waste (bagasse) into biomass briquettes at their factory in rural Western Kenya. They have also designed an innovative institutional cookstove, which is up to 75% cheaper than other options on the market and unlocks clean cooking for low-budget institutions.
Acacia Innovations’ cooking fuel, made of sugarcane waste, is 35% cheaper than firewood and up to 50% cheaper than charcoal. It is also nearly smokeless, which reduces the risk of respiratory illnesses, a leading cause of premature death in the developing world. Finally, it offers a solution to deforestation and climate change since every ton consumed saves 13 trees. Acacia Innovations has impacted over 200,000 students in 400+ institutions by providing a smoke-free learning environment and contributing to affordable school meals. They currently serve over 20 counties across Kenya and plan to scale up to nationwide distribution, eventually expanding across Africa.