Profiles of Smart Villages Competition Finalists and Winners

East Africa Energy Innovation Challenge 2017

The third annual East Africa Energy Innovation Challenge took place in summer 2017.  With the application and screening process fully handed over the CDI for a sustainable continuation of the programme, the Cambridge Development Initiative (https://cambridgedevelopment.wordpress.com/) (CDI) selected 11 individuals out of over 200 applicants for the programme.

The eleven aspiring entrepreneurs developed ideas for off-grid energy businesses over seven weeks with the CDI in Dar es Salaam and pitched their businesses at the Tengeneza Tanzania Together conference attended by over 400 guests.

Congratulations to Jesen Energy for winning the competition!  Founded by Makondose Senteu, Mlamba John, Nelson Maleko and Elifadhili Shaidi, Jesen Energy has designed an improved, insulated cookstove with adjustable plates to accommodate for pans of different sizes.

CORA Biogas were awarded an honourable mention prize for their work to develop a portable biogas system that can easily be installed in homes.

Read about the 2017 Entrepreneurs

Winner:

Jesen Energy

• Makondose Senteu
• Mlamba John
• Nelson Maleko
• Elifadhili Shaidi

Honourable Mention:

CORA biogas

• Tecla Mariwa
• Seni James Bulugu

Finalists:

Sweet Solar Snacks

• Lillian Charles Alphonse
• Samwel Baruti
• Mediana Ngosso
• Chrispin Sanga (link to profile)

Tambea Power

• Deus Chami (link to profile)

 Gram Oorja

• Sameer Nair

Chemolex

• Clifford Okoth
• James Ogingo

Tacode

• Neema

SUJA Eco Energy

• Suleiman Mzungu
• Jacqueline Proneth

 

West Africa Off-grid Energy Challenge 2017

The West Africa Off-grid Energy Challenge took place in early 2017.  Twenty-nine established off-grid energy companies applied to the competition by describing how they wanted to grow their existing off-grid energy businesses.

Over a period of four months, five finalist companies worked with consultant mentors through Cambridge Bridges for Enterprise (link to https://www.bridgesforenterprise.com/) to analyse and refine their businesses plans and strategy.

Congratulations to Nafa Naana  (link to http://www.nafa-naana.org/) for winning the competition!   Nafa Naana develops marketing and financial solutions to strengthen distribution channels for clean cookstoves, LPG6 and solar lights, while stimulating demand through intensive promotion and raising awareness campaigns.  Based in Burkina Faso, they hope to expand throughout West Africa.

Read about the West African entrepreneurs

Winner:

Nafa Naana

• Sayouba Guira
• Check Traore

Finalists:

Ajima Farms

•  Fatima Ademoh
•  Kabir Ademoh

Paygo Ventures

•  Andrew Carter
• Prince Monsekea

Project Production Solaire Togo

• Dodji Agbezo
• Kouma Agbenowossi 

Sunlight Energy Ventures (Nigeria)

• Christie Etukador
• Idara Bethel Etukudor

India Off-grid Energy Impact Competition 2016

The India Off-grid Energy Impact Competition took place in early 2016.  India has a vibrant community of competitive, motivated off-grid energy entrepreneurs.  This competition was designed to highlight examples where the off-grid energy they provide has acted as a catalyst for development in remote villages.

Companies from throughout India applied to the competition and Smart Villages invited Naturetech Infra (http://www.naturetechinfra.com/), Lytyfy (https://lytyfy.org/) and Gram Oorja (http://www.gramoorja.in/)  to share the stage with us at the Lighting a Billion Lives convention in April 2016.

Naturetech was named the winner due to their achievements to date and potential for further impact in rural energy access.  By building microgrids in remote villages, Naturetech has brought light, internet and teachers to schools, it has enabled food processing and entrepreneurship, it has seen street lights bring safety where there was darkness.  Naturetech’s business model of combined CSR and sales revenue funding is both financially and environmentally sustainable and it has developed proprietary metering and anti-theft technologies that are both innovative and replicable.

Read about the Indian entrepreneurs

Winner:

Naturetech Infra

• Shyma Patra
• Arpan Mukhopadhyay

Finalists:

Lytyfy

• Vishnu Raghunathan
• Deepak Kumar

Gram Oorja

•  Sameer Nair (link to profile)
•  Anshuman Lath (no profile provided)

 

East Africa Energy Innovation Challenge 2016

The second annual East Africa Energy Innovation Challenge took place in summer 2016.  With restructured selection criteria, 85 East African applicants applied to the programme by pitching their ideas for providing energy services to off-grid villages.

Eight aspiring entrepreneurs developed their ideas over seven weeks with the Cambridge Development Initiative (https://cambridgedevelopment.wordpress.com/)  in Dar es Salaam and pitched their businesses to a panel of judges at the Dare to Change Dar conference, attended by over 400 guests.

Congratulations to SUJA Eco Energy for winning the competition!  Founded by Jacqueline Proneth and Suleiman Mzungu, SUJA manufactures charcoal briquettes from alternative sources including charcoal dusts, sugar cane, coconut husks and shells.

Read about the 2016 Entrepreneurs

Winner:

SUJA Eco Energy

• Suleiman Mzungu (link to profile)
• Jacqueline Proneth (link to profile)

Finalists:

Tacode

• Edson Mhenga (no profile provided)
• Neema Igogo  (link to profile)
• John Jacob Silas (no profile provided)

Shara

• Daniel Wilson Sabuni (no profile provided)
• Peter Abely Mwaikambo (no profile provided)
• Alpheus Timotheo Binamungu (no profile provided)

East Africa Energy Innovation Challenge 2015

The first annual East African Energy Innovation Challenge was an entrepreneurial training course and competition that took place in summer 2015.  Over 225 East African applicants across nine countries applied to the programme by pitching their ideas for providing energy services to off-grid villages.

The entrepreneurs identified a number of issues and opportunities in the off-grid energy space including reliability of supply chain for new forms of energy, the importance of marketing affordable alternative energy sources to potential consumers, and the disproportionate impact on women and girls associated with traditional cooking methods.

Four finalist teams developed their ideas over eight weeks with the Cambridge Development Initiative in Dar es Salaam and pitched their businesses to a panel of judges at the Dare to Change Dar conference, hosted at the Bank of Tanzania.

Congratulations to Chemolex for winning the competition!  Chemolex, founded by James Ogola and Clifford Okoth, provides off-grid rural households with clean, affordable home lighting systems by harnessing and storing solar energy in rechargeable batteries.

Read about the 2015 Entrepreneurs

Winner:

Chemolex

• James Ogingo (link to profile)
• Clifford Okoth (link to profile)

Finalists:

Citigas

• Hilary Muramira (no profile provided, no link)

Dream Line Energy

•  Frank Prosperous (no profile provided, no link)
•  Petro Mwanlima (no profile provided, no link)
•  Ally Mwanja (no profile provided, no link)

African Powering

• Dominick Kihanda (no profile provided, no link)
• Cosmas Muhagachi (no profile provided, no link)