Innovating Impact

Billions of tons of manure generated by farms each year contaminate groundwater and emit greenhouse gases, presenting a significant environmental challenge for smallholder farmers. Sistema addresses this issue with advanced biodigester technology that transforms animal manure into clean-burning biogas for cooking and power, as well as nutrient-rich organic fertilizer. This innovative solution enhances farm productivity and sustainability while laying the groundwork for regenerative practices. In addition to providing the technology, Sistema offers training and financing to help farmers build the necessary infrastructure and capacity for energy independence. With flexible repayment options and comprehensive monitoring services, farmers can easily acquire and use biodigesters to process farm waste, resulting in clean biogas and biofertilizers. This empowers farmers globally to become more energy-efficient and self-sufficient in fertilizer production.

Smallholder farmers often struggle with limited processing and storage options, resulting in significant food loss and reduced economic growth. S4S Technologies tackles this challenge with its patented solar conduction dryer, which dehydrates fruits, vegetables, grains, and spices, extending shelf life by six months and retaining 35% more nutrients than traditional methods. The dryer operates without electricity and reduces processing time by up to 40%. S4S aggregates the dried produce, processes it at its factory, and sells to the food and beverage industry, providing farmers with a reliable market and enabling them to create higher-value products. This approach effectively minimizes waste and enhances farmers' livelihoods.

South Africa's transition to clean energy offers a significant opportunity for climate mitigation. Despite being the world's third-largest domestic power market, 80% of South Africa's electricity still comes from aging coal-fired power stations. A key obstacle to this transition is the lack of appropriate infrastructure. The government and major utilities are not reliable buyers of renewable energy, and distributed producers struggle to connect to the grid. Open Access Energy is addressing these challenges by building a technology platform that enables independent producers to feed electricity directly into the grid or to distributed users. This platform is crucial for accelerating South Africa's green transition and unlocking the full potential of renewable energy.

Minigrid project developers often lack the working capital needed to pre-purchase essential equipment, such as solar panels and batteries. This financial barrier can lead to costly delays that jeopardize project success. To solve this problem, Odyssey has created the only end-to-end platform that scales project development across the entire lifecycle, including planning, financing, procurement, and operations. With access to $1.3 billion in financing for distributed renewable energy projects and a network of over 2,000 renewable energy companies, Odyssey connects developers with private and concessional financiers, facilitating access to previously out-of-reach projects. Their advanced software tools streamline project planning and portfolio management, while remote monitoring solutions provide investors with full visibility into asset performance, ensuring successful investment outcomes. By effectively addressing these critical pain points, Odyssey is transforming the renewable energy landscape.

Smallholder farmers face challenges in accessing specialized financing, which limits their ability to diversify into more expensive, climate-resilient crops or afford essential inputs like pesticides. Apollo Agriculture addresses this issue by empowering these farmers to increase profits and farm sustainably.
Utilizing machine learning-driven credit models and automated technology, Apollo provides a comprehensive package that includes high-quality crops, optimized financing, expert digital advice, training, market access, and insurance. This package is offered as a loan, allowing farmers to purchase necessary inputs at the start of the year and begin repayment only after harvest. By combining financing with support for sustainable farming practices, Apollo unlocks the vast potential of the smallholder farming market, enabling farmers to invest in and scale their businesses effectively.

According to UN Environment, there are over 30 million motorcycle taxi drivers in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a strong need for electrification. However, current electric bikes face challenges such as low quality, high costs, long charging times, and insufficient charging locations. Ampersand addresses these issues by providing electric motorcycles and a network of battery swap stations. Drivers can purchase or lease motorcycles at competitive prices, while Ampersand owns the batteries, allowing drivers to pay only for the electricity they use. This innovative model not only saves drivers up to $600 a year and potentially doubles their income but also contributes to cleaner air in African cities and supports a transition to a zero-carbon future.