Waste-to-Value Accelerator
Inaugural bootcamp in Nairobi
Overview
Our Waste to Value Accelerator in East Africa provided start-ups with technical and financial support to combat the growing amount of waste in the region.
Waste management is a key socioeconomic and environmental challenge affecting most countries in East Africa. The traditional methods for recycling and disposal of waste are unable to deal with the growing amount of waste being produced in these countries.
Based on our aspiration to support enterprises and build the waste sector in East Africa, we partnered with Intellecap to launch the Waste to Value Challenge in December 2019. The Challenge covered four countries – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda – and received over 400 applications.
From that pool of applicants, six start-ups was chosen for the first round of the Waste to Value Accelerator. They were Zijani, Gracela, Gjenge Makers, Yo-Waste, Green Coal, and Vuma Biofuels.
Intellecap managed the accelerator, providing technical assistance to the enterprises. The accelerator covered topics such as waste sector market analysis, market development, product refinement, business planning & operations, financial management and financial modelling.
To read Intellecap’s report on the lessons learned, click here.
Representatives of the shortlisted candidates in Nairobi