Ten Kenyan-based startups addressing food losses and by-products are set to benefit from a tailored program that will help them define their circular solutions, strengthen their business models, and access grant funding of up to 50,000 euros (Ksh.6.6 million).
This follows the launch of the second cohort of the agri-circularity program by O-Farms, an African SME accelerator focused on circular agribusiness with the goal of making circularity a mainstream approach for improved rural livelihoods and sustainability. The initiative is funded by the IKEA Foundation to help scale circular agribusiness innovations in East Africa.
Agri-circularity creates a more sustainable food system that drives innovation through developing innovative business models that reduce agricultural losses, thereby creating new economic opportunities and jobs in the region.
Yummy Pot Ltd , a startup that sells instant mashed potato flour and raw potato flour to households and businesses as well as Janabichi Agri Solutions which converts rejected tomatoes and capsicum to various sauces have benefited the programme.
Others include Sbike Ltd which uses market organic waste and supplements it with by-products from the sugar production process, such as pulp and molasses to produce ethanol and Agribusiness Solutions which process avocado oil using a zero-waste circular process and go on to process the avocado waste to make briquettes and nutrients for black soldier fly farming.
Also set to benefit from the program is Soil Doctors, a startup that make low-cost, biodegradable carbon-sink bag sheaths, which cover trees and enable their independent growth without irrigation, Organic Fields which convert market food waste into an organic fertilizer for use in crop production, Stawi Seeds Ltd that uses spoiled papaya fruits to make organic fertilizers and EcoRich Solutions that make affordable carbon-friendly organic fertilizers from household waste.
Korogocho Market Traders Association (KMTA) that uses overripe avocados to extract avocado oil, avocado seeds to make biofuel, overripe bananas to make smoothies, dry banana leaves(charred) to make briquettes and make organic compost from market organic waste as well as Vermitech Consultants Ltd-manufactures Boom Max organic foliar, an organic water based fertilizer that is made by recycling market waste also benefited.
O-Farms was launched in 2021 as Africa’s first accelerator program focusing on agri-circularity with the goal of making circularity a mainstream approach for improved rural livelihoods and sustainability.
E4Impact Accelerator is implementing the O-Farm’s Accelerator Program in Kenya. So far the programme has supported 11 SMEs, and it is now back for a second edition.
“As E4Impact our aim is to support SMEs to refine their innovations, strengthen their business models, access financing opportunities and create a founding community advocating for better adoption of a circular economy and supportive policies & legislation. We are looking forward to receiving the 2nd cohort of agri-circularity SMEs as we strive towards cementing Kenya as an agricultural hub in Africa,” said David Cheboryot, Director of the E4Impact Entrepreneurship Centers.
Led by Bopinc and Village Capital, O-Farms is focused on accelerating the next generation of innovative circular agribusinesses in Kenya and Uganda.
Agri-circularity creates a more sustainable food system that drives innovation through developing innovative business models that reduce agricultural losses, thereby creating new economic opportunities and jobs in the region.
