When the Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge 2020 winners were officially announced, one pair of Kenyan names stood out. Emmastella Gakuo and Percy Lemtukei, co-founders of Savanna Circuit Tech came out victorious bagging total funding of US$100,000.
The initiators of this problem solver challenge aim to have a pool of entrepreneurs and innovators who are keen on developing a solution that changes the manner in which global issues can be addressed for the common person.
The Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge is an online competition that awards cash prizes to early-stage startups that have developed a solution that drives economic development or solves a social or environmental problem.
Emmastella and Percy founded Savanna Circuit Tech in 2017, after meeting at the University of Nairobi. Observing a gap in which the dairy industry in Kenya was operating and the lack of a system to prolong the life of dairy products in rural Kenya, a light bulb of ideas lit for the good. They developed a solar cooling in-transit system to help dairy businesses in Kenya cut post-harvest losses. This product has been improved over time and it is now reaping the confidence of international players.
The company manufactures and distributes last-mile, non-refrigerant, solar-powered milk chillers that can be placed on any means of transportation – from motorbikes to trucks. Their AI-enabled ICT solution allows milk aggregation, traceability, and quality control to prevent milk spoilage and maximizes profits for dairy producers.
The hardware collects, preserves, and chills the milk in transit using solar energy while reducing milk spillage. On the other hand, the software offers real-time data from collection points that are used for mobile money payment, farmer records, accountability, and projection of dynamics in the value chain.
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These young and talented people work with dairies, dairy cooperatives, and farmer groups in rural Kenya, as well as processors. This is provided through MaziwaPlus Pre-Chiller and the M+ Milk collection app. Maziwaplus mini is suitable for motorcycles and can hold up to 140 liters of milk for up to 15 hours while the larger Maziwaplus Mega holds up to 800 liters of milk for up to 72 hours.
In just one and a half years, the company has impacted over 1300 farmers distributed over eight dairy cooperatives, chilling on transit 200,000 liters while cutting down energy costs in addition to access to finance for the users.
In Kenya, 70 percent of dairy producers are smallholder dairy farmers producing 5.3 billion liters of milk each year – 30 percent of which goes to waste.
Emmastella and Percy state they wish to use their $100,000 grand prize money in strengthening their business by acquiring novel talent and equipment for their new manufacturing facility.
Percy was recently quoted in a tech blog looking at how the company’s future looks like. Encouraged by the response of the Kenyan market and aware of the opportunities that exist in other regional markets, he said the company has already cast its eyes on cross-border expansion.
“Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Ghana are the top choices for us since we have already received orders from these countries. To meet the demand, we are putting the finishing touches on our manufacturing facility in Nairobi. We recently entered into a deal with a farmer NGO to on-board over 10,000 farmers from western Kenya.”
The company has been receiving accolades through this innovation. In 2019, it was awarded first runners-up winners of the early-stage start-ups of the Pitch AgriHack a competition organized by CTA to support young agricultural entrepreneurs (agripreneurs) to build viable businesses and boost innovation for a more sustainable agricultural sector.
Since the Cisco program began in 2016, a total of US$900,000 in prize money has been awarded to 30 startups from 12 countries – helping them accelerate their breakthrough technologies.
This year’s program also awarded US$75,000 to CURE (University of Sousse, Tunisia) which has created customizable 3D-printed bionic arms for people with limb differences at an affordable price. CURE’s 3D printed prosthetics are controlled by the wearers’ muscles and are easy-to-use and to assemble. Their combination of virtual reality and gamification is a therapeutic solution for training and rehabilitation from home.
“With so many innovative and inspiring solutions out there, our Global Problem Solver Challenge seems to get more and more difficult to judge each year – and 2020 was no exception,” said Tae Yoo, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Cisco. “We hope by recognizing and awarding our Global Problem Solver Challenge winners we’re able to help jumpstart innovative ideas that benefit society, catalyze economic growth, create jobs, and shape a more inclusive future.”
This is not the first time a Kenyan tech entity has featured in this competition. In 2019, Solar Freeze and Illuminum Greenhouses were 2019 overall first runner up and the second runner up respectively banking a total of US$100,000 while M-Shule, a Kenyan EdTech startup emerged as the second runner up in the 2018 edition.
