AFRICAN AGROTRADE, AGROPAY & AGROINFO START-UP FROM GHANA

WHO WE ARE:
AgroCenta is an agricultural technology platform that focuses on using technology to provide a last mile market access for smallholder farmers in Ghana. AgroCenta currently works with over 10,000 smallholder farmers in the Northern, Upper West and Ashanti Regions in Ghana. These smallholder farmers are connected directly to large, medium and small businesses to sell directly to in the breweries, food manufacturing and processing industries.

PRODUCTS/SERVICES:
AgroTrade (online trafe platform)
TruckR (on-demand trucks & logistics platform)
AgroPay (financial inclusion platform)
AgroInfo (real time informational platform on weather and market prices via SMS)

START-UP STORY:
AgroCenta was birthed when co-founders decided to quit their jobs and create a trading platform for smallholder farmers in the staple value chain. The founders were driven by their passion to create a fair market for smallholder farmers to sell and increase their potential incomes.

MOTIVATION:
Our main motivation an drive at AgroCenta is to see a financially empowered smallholder farmer.

OBJECTIVES:
AgroCentas primary objective is to promote and facilitate fair trade for smallholder farmers in Subsahara Africa by connecting them directly to a larger and structured market to trade. By improving logistical inefficiencies and removing exploitative buying from the value chain, smallholder farmers can sell at competitive prices and improve their financial livelihood.

FOUNDERS:
Francis Obirikoranz & Michael Ocansey

AWARDS:
World Summit Awards (Environment & Green Energy)
TechCrunch Battlefield Africa Winner (Social Good)
Fincluders Startup Challenge

Meet Francis Obirikorang at the 5th German-African Economic Forum!

CONTACT:
E-mail: francis@agrocenta.com 
Homepage: www.agrocenta.com

 Factsheet AgroCenta Ltd.

FRONTIER MARKET TECHNOLOGY NEEDS FOR CONNECTIVITY FROM KENYA

WHO WE ARE:
We are a team of software developers, engineers and technologists in Nairobi.

PRODUCTS/SERVICES:
Moja (Free Public WIFI)
SupaBRCK (Kit for Enterprise Connectivity)
Kio Kit (Education Connectivity)
PicoBRCK (Rugged Connectivity)

START-UP STORY:
We have long asked ourselves, why we use devices designed for Europe and the US when we live in Africa where these devices do not fit our infrastructure needs. Where internet and connectivity are both problematic in both urban and rural areas. We build various tools for connectivity that we need ourselves.

MOTIVATION:
Only 18% of households in Africa have internet access. By contrast, the figure in Europe is 84%. In Kenya alone, more than 35 million people live without access to internet. This is mainly due to the lack of infrastructure. There are hardly any broadband connections and routers break down quickly under the local conditions. Our motivation is to bring frontier markets closer to the internet.

OBJECTIVES:
BRCK is on the cutting edge of frontier market technology needs for connectivity whether it is for people or things. We designed of a series of hardware solutions that significantly improves internet access in Kenya. This includes, for example, the Moja network with over 40 free Wi-Fi hotspots in Nairobi, provided by the high-performance SupaBRCK microserver.

FOUNDERS:
Erik Hersman | Philipp Walton | Reg Orton

AWARDS:
2016: ITU Global SME Award
2016: Best Pan African Initiative, Africacom
2017: If Design Award
2017: Aegis Graham Bell Award
2017: Fast Company Changing Ideas Award
NetExplo Award
2015: London museum design of the year Award

Meet Alex Masika at the 5th German-African Economic Forum!

CONTACT:
E-mail: alex@brck.com 
Homepage: www.brck.com

AFRICAN SOLAR ENERGY START-UP FROM KENYA

WHO WE ARE:
Equatorial Energies Ltd has established itself as a leading EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) company in Kenya, specializing in delivering bankable, innovative, and reliable stand-alone systems (off-grid), (on-grid) commercial & residential solar PV systems and solar power solutions to meet the needs of the local market. Our positioning gives us an edge in understanding and navigating the local landscape.

PRODUCTS/SERVICES:
Solar PV
Solar Thermal and Solar Water Pumping

START-UP STORY:
Equatorial Energies Ltd was established in 2014 and incorporated in March, 2015 in response to a skills gap within the local energy market. The founders noticed that there lacked sufficient local technical expertise on the ground to support implementation and maintenance of solar power systems. Equatorial Energies would then seek to fill this gap by equipping a local team to offer turnkey solar energy solutions at global quality standards to effectively satisfy custormer demands.

MOTIVATION:
Equatorial Energies envisions a network of young, technically skilled local experts in Subsahara Africa who are able to deliver global standards of quality and whose approaches give emphasis to environmental conservation and sustainbility.

OBJECTIVES:
To be the number one EPC in Subsahara Africa in the field of solar energy solutions.
To empower local youth with the technical skills necessary to implement, maintain and troubleshoot solar energy systems in the Subsahara Africa market.

FOUNDERS:
Evan Kimani | Mary Mindo | Kevin Gaitho

AWARDS:
Women in Energy Award (Kenya)

Meet Mary Warenga Mindo at the 5th German-African Economic Forum!

CONTACT:
E-mail: mwaringa@equatorialenergies.com 
Homepage: www.equatorialenergies.com

 Factsheet Equatorial Energies

AFRICAN CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL & CRYPTOCURRENCY START-UP FROM KENYA

WHO WE ARE:
We are a social enterprise with a team of vibrant human beings with the aim of tackling the looming plastic waste problem by using the art and science of making construction material from plastics.
We started in 2017 and currently have a minimum viable product  (MVP), ready to move to the development stage.

PRODUCTS/SERVICES:
Gjenge Bricks
Cryptocurrency

START-UP STORY:
We follow the world of our role model the Nobel Laureate Wangari Mathai, "if we don t protect our environment then who will". It is with this in mind that our founder started research, we started research on ways to Recycle and Upcycle and after rigorous research, we started market testing where we have the capacity for mass production. And this is our current priority to get the necessary capacity.
We are also in parallel setting up the blockchain technology where we will provide an alternative payment system for our product and especially once we fully utilize the full capability of this technology through bulding houses.

MOTIVATION:
Just like Nobel Laureate Wangari Mathai, we want to leave a world a better place than we found it by leaving a waste recycling and upcycling ecosystem, called Gjenge Makers Ltd.

OBJECTIVES:
To make a strong, durable and alternative building material and provide an alternative payment system for it, through our cryptocurrency.

FOUNDER:
Nzambi Matee

MEMBERS:
Margaret Matee - Board
Paula Aschenbrenner - Analyst
Ndungu Njau - Marketer

AWARDS:
Watson Business Incubator, Colorado
Kenya Cimate Innovation Center Award

Meet Moses Ndungu Njau at the 5th German-African Economic Forum!

CONTACT:
E-mail: gjengemakers@gmail. com 
Homepage: www.gjenge.co.ke
WhatApp: +254 726557715

 Factsheet Gjenge Makers Ltd.

TINY SOLUTIONS FOR BIG PROBLEMS FROM GHANA

WHO WE ARE:
We are an addressing system providing private and unique addresses for individuals across the world that will supercharge logistics, commerce, public services, governance across the world.

PRODUCTS/SERVICES:
SnooCODE
SnooCODE Red
FireFly (Automated Drone Surveys)
Transaction Authentification

START-UP STORY:
My inspiration for the idea came during my time working as an intern for a bank in Accra, where we (the team I was part of) found it difficult to navigate the capital s hectic street system. It was the early days of consumer banking and we were sent out to get people to open bank accounts. We found that we were constantly lost and I thought there must be a better way. I set-up SnooCODE in 2011, returning to Ghana from the UK in 2013 to work on the app full-time.

MOTIVATION:
Through some challenging life experiences I came to have the following motto "We all exist to solve problems and make new things possible". That last statement while it might not sound profound or eloquent is the driving force behind everything I have done in this project. Coming from a military family has left me with a very pan African view of war, poverty and disease as well as the opportunities for themselves and for their children and how welcoming and beautiful Africa often is. To build solutions for Africa and beyond is truly an honour. I have also learnt that just because a problem is big or expensive and I have always sought to find tiny solutions to big problems as these solutions tend to be more sustainable.

OBJECTIVES:
1. Raise funds to expand team.
2. Getting the government in Africa to use it as the National addressing system.
3. Help private companies in all these countries make their last mile logistics more efficient e.g. food and product delivery, DHL, FedEx.
4. Open Up African markets to companies like Rakuten, Ali-Baba, and Amazon by making deliveries and delivery verification more resilient.
5. Develop strategic partnerships that will increase SnooCODE Red adoption across emergency services in Africa.

AWARDS:
2017: Coca Cola "Next Big 6" Award Finalist
2017: Winner British Council Study UK Alumni Awards - Entrepreneurial Foundation
2016: Nominated for the Royal Academy of Engineering - Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation
2015: Recipientof the Vodafone Foundation Mobile for Good Grant
2014: Winner of the African Content Award for m-Inclusion and Empowerment
2014: Winner of the World Summit Award for Mobile Content
2011: The Institution of Engineering and Technology International Innovation Finalist


FOUNDER:
Sesinam Dagadu

MEMBERS:
Sesinam Dagadu, Michael Nkrumah, Fred Soglohu, Crownie Eme, Judah King


Meet Sesinam Dagadu at the German-African Economic Forum!

CONTACT:
Sesinam Dagadu
Email: ses@tinydavid.com
www.snoocode.com

 Factsheet Tiny David/Snoocode

MONITORING AND AERIAL DATA FOR INFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS

WHO WE ARE:
Track Your Build is a dynamic company founded by engineering and science professionals. We are specializing in using drones and cloud computing to gather crucial data for the planning and maintenance of public and private sector infrastructure assets. We work for governments. NGOs and private companies.

PRODUCTS/SERVICES:
Monitoring and aerial data for: Infrastructure, Oil & Gas, Insurance Telecommunications

START-UP STORY:
For infrastructure investment to be possible, inspections, mapping and surveying of land is urgently needed. In Africa these tasks are difficult to do due to the difficult terrain and lack of access.

Drones, artificial intelligence and cloud computing can make inspections, surveying and mapping faster and easier thus giving public and private entities the data they need to analyze and implement projects or to monitor and maintain completed infrastructure thus extending its lifespan.

MOTIVATION:
TYB aims to contribute to meeting Africa s infrastructure gap because road systems, water networks, electricity, telecommunications, urban planning, land management, transportation networks like pipelines or railroads all need to be available for any development goal in Africa to be archieved. Our economies also depend on extending our infrastructure as well as better managing the infrastructure assets that wie already have. Our tools will bring a meaningful impact to the way infrastructure is developed and in terms of speed, accuracy and frequency of data on the assets.

OBJECTIVES:
To increase the lifespan of assets and networks, by providing monitoring services using drones, satellites, AI and cloud computing for the following industries: infrastructure, oil & gas, insurance and telecommunications.

FOUNDER:
Edmond B Nonie
Samuel Nonie
Chioma V Opara

CERTIFICATES:
giz Make IT Afrika fellowship
Tony Elumelu Foundation fellowship

Meet Edmond Nonie at the 5th German-African Economic Forum!

CONTACT:
E-mail: Edmond.nonie@tybprojects.com
Homepage: www.tybprojects.com

 Factsheet Track Your Build

Zielmarkt Ghana: Get Connected!

Wohlstand und Chancengleichheit für alle schaffen! Chancen und Wachstumspotential!

UGAG ist der Dachverband aller ghanaischen Vereine innerhalb der Bundesrepunblik Deutschland. Der Verband hat die Ziele, die Aktivitäten der örtlichen Vereine zu koordinieren, Integration zu unterstützen, Wohltätigkeit und Entwicklungsprojekte für und in Ghana zu iniitieren und zu fördern, stellvertretend für in Deutschland lebende Ghanaer und Ghanaerinnen als Sprachrohr auf Landes-, Bundes- und internationaler Ebene zu fungieren.

Brückenbauer zwischen der ghanaischen Diaspora und der ghanaischen Regierung

Ghana ist in Westafrika das poliisch und wirtschafltich stabilste Land. Es zeichnet sich durch geringe Korruption und Kriminalität aus. Das Land hat seit über einer Dekade ein stabiles und nachhaltiges Wirtschaftswachstum und erreichte mit 14,4 % in 2011 einen bisherigen Höhepunkt und für 2017 wird mit rund 7.9 % bis zum Ende des Jahres gerechnet. Dabei ist der Industriesektor in 2017 um 17.7 % gewachsen. Ghana hat 25 Millionen Einwohner. Es wird deshalb in Zukunft sehr wichtig werden, sich mit dem Thema der Verarbeitung von verfügbaren Rohstoffen zu beschäftigen.

Berücksichtigt man diese Angaben, bietet Ghana einen sich entwickeltnden Markt für viele Wirtschaftssektoren. Für deutsche Unternehmen bieten sich daher gute Geschäftschancen bedingt durch die sehr angesehene Technologie und deutsche Produkte.

Die Union of Ghanaian Associations in Germany e.V. befindet sich in der Vorbereitung, erstmals nach ihrer Entstehung vor 13 Jarhen eine Messe-Informationsstand im Jahr 2019 in Köln zu veranstalten. Der Wirtschaftsinformationsstand, der gemeinsam mit dem Kammernetzwerk der Handelskammern in Deutschland und in Zusammenarbeit mit den deutschen Auslandshandelskammern (AHK) in Ghana und anderen Ländern veranstaltet wird, hat das Ziel, deutsche Unternehmen und mögliche ghanaische Partner zusammenzubringen, um Investitionen anzuregen und Geschäftsbeziehungen anzubahnen.

Geplante Sektoren sind:

- Erneuerbare Energie

- Lebensmittelverarbeitungsindustrie

- Maschinen- und Anlagenbau

- Textile und Bekleidung

Kontaktieren Sie William Nketia, den Vorstandsvorsitzenden der UGAG e.V., beim 5. Deutsch-Afrikanischen Wirtschaftsforum NRW in Dortmund:

William Nketia
Tel: 0177 85 20 575

Im Kommunikationsbereich im Foyer werden Regionentische für Nord-, West-, Ost- und das südliche Afrika eingerichtet.