Crème de la Crème Entrepreneurs From Kenya & South Africa Selected For The 2015 Green Pioneer Acceleration Program
The Green Pioneer Accelerator program is an all rounded business accelerator whose goal is to support early stage entrepreneurs with innovative ideas that present solutions to various environmental concerns. Such as climate change, soil degradation and loss of biodiversity. The program identified such entrepreneurs in Kenya and South Africa where 11 and 12 entrepreneurs respectively were selected.
The selected candidates were taken through a rigorous multi-phase selection process focusing on their business’s viability, the teams’ strength, creative solutions and the potential to solve huge challenges. The candidates will be taken through an acceleration program spanning 16 weeks, which is set to start at the end of January and early February.
The comprehensive program will be offered to these entrepreneurs through collaboration between Impact Amplifier, VC4Africa, Growth Africa and Hivos. The program seeks to transform the startups entrepreneurs from being ‘market proof’ to being ‘ready for investment’. The entrepreneurs will be polished by helping them improve their strategy, financials and pitch deck. As well as improving their fundraising conversations with potential investors.
The entrepreneurs will benefit from a rigorous curriculum with practical experience shared by their predecessors; successful entrepreneurs, mentors and investors. The program’s graduates will also have the privilege access to over 600 private sector investors and will be able to tap into the combined networks and knowledge of the participating partner organizations.
The list below shows some of the entrepreneurs selected from Kenya and South Africa
Strauss Energy (Kenya) – Tony Nyagah: Is constructing roofing tiles with integrated photovoltaic material to generate solar energy. The roofing tiles targets residential houses and commercial units, and in case they generate excess power it will be sold off to the national grid. For more information, click here.
Boma Safi Ltd. (Kenya) – Joyce Gema: Sells solar products, clean cooking stoves and briquettes affordably to rural homes using a hub-spoke and promoter distribution model.
Green Pencils Ltd. (Kenya) – Ivan Ochieng: Collects old newspapers from registered groups like youth, women and disabled groups in order to produce customized pencils and ball pens. For more information on this, click here.
Kencoco Ltd. (Kenya) Dr. Said Twahir: Produces charcoal briquettes from coconut shells, husks, and other biomass material and sells them to households and institutions. For more information, click here.
Sanivation (Kenya) – Andrew Foote: Provides portable toilets for a monthly fee to households in congested areas. They also deliver energy services to the people. For more information, click here.
Savvy Loo (South Africa) – Dudley Jackson: Offers waterless toilet to individuals living in rural setups. They also provide temporary settlements that offer cleaner, safer and healthier sanitary solutions.
Lady Bonin’s Tea (South Africa) – Jessica Bonin: Obtains tea from biodynamic, organic, cooperative and fair-trade farms and packs throughout South Africa. For more details, click here.
Mellowcabs (South Africa) – Neil du Preez: Manufactures and operates new generation of electric mini-cabs that give an on-demand, flexible and affordable taxi and transport service in cities. More information here.
MySmartFarm (South Africa) – Wolfgang Von Loepr: Is a one-stop-shop-all solution to farmers in search of data; a consolidation of tech agricultural hardware and data services on one cloud platform. More information here.
New Earth Health Solutions (South Africa) – Yesheen Singh: Produces Phyto Pro, a range of plant-based protein products made from peas, for consumers and medical consumption. For more details, click here.
To view the comprehensive list with the 11 entrepreneurs from Kenya and 12 entrepreneurs from South Africa, click here.
