Acumen

RDG Collective, founded in 2018, seeks to empower the future by creating and delivering innovative solar home systems across Zambia, where an estimated 2.4 million households lack electricity. By offering pay‑as‑you‑go products, the company removes the high upfront cost that has historically limited access to solar energy. This model has enabled more Zambian households to acquire solar home systems, refrigerators, solar water pumps, and smartphones, improving daily life and economic opportunities.

SunCulture, based in Nairobi, Kenya, develops and sells the AgroSolar Irrigation Kit, a fully solar-powered irrigation system that combines solar water pumping with high-efficiency drip irrigation. The kit is designed to help smallholder farmers grow more with less water and energy, delivering reliable irrigation and enabling additional benefits such as lighting and mobile charging. SunCulture positions itself as a one-stop provider for rural farmers, offering not only the irrigation hardware but also agronomic services, training, access to capital, and market opportunities. By integrating solar pumping, irrigation, and support services, the company aims to improve crop yields, reduce operating costs, and promote sustainable farming through climate technology and a digital marketplace.

Ampersand is a company based in Kigali, Rwanda, that specializes in the manufacture of affordable electric vehicles and charging systems tailored for the three million motorcycle taxi drivers in East Africa. The company aims to enhance mass-market electric mobility by providing a battery swap network and an operating system that facilitates sustainable transport solutions. By making electric mobility accessible and affordable, Ampersand not only improves the livelihoods of drivers but also contributes to environmental sustainability. As of January 2024, the company's customer base has expanded to 2,000 users, who collectively cover 1.5 million kilometers weekly in Nairobi and Kigali.

Kentaste Products Limited is a Kenyan company based in Nairobi that specializes in the processing, production, packaging, and distribution of coconut-based products. Founded in 2011, Kentaste offers a diverse range of natural and locally sourced items, including coconut milk, creams, virgin oil, desiccated coconut, and flour. Additionally, the company produces snacks and chips derived from coconuts, catering to various culinary uses such as sauces, drinks, curries, and desserts. Kentaste's products are available in supermarkets across Kenya, reflecting its commitment to providing quality food and beauty products made from the versatile coconut.

PowerGen Renewable Energy is a leading provider of energy solutions in East Africa, focused on transforming energy access for residential, community, commercial, government, and industrial customers. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, with additional offices in Arusha, Tanzania; Freetown, Sierra Leone; and Lagos, Nigeria, the company specializes in the development, construction, and operation of solar mini-grids. PowerGen offers a range of services including engineering, procurement, construction, and financing, ensuring affordable and reliable power for communities that are not connected to national electricity networks. As a pioneer in the solar mini-grid sector, PowerGen is committed to driving the clean energy transition across Africa and is a founding member of the Africa Mini-grid Developers Association, collaborating with various sector leaders to enhance energy access in the region.

KopaGas is a technology company that designs, manufactures, and distributes environment-friendly cooking fuel. It develops software and hardware solutions that enable direct-to-customer business models for the next generation of LPG retail operations. The company aims to accelerate access to clean cooking solutions. In 2014, Francisco Rodriguez-Sanchez and Andron Mendes founded the company in Dar Es Salaam, Dar es Salaam.

Sanergy, Inc. focuses on enhancing sanitation infrastructure in urban slums, particularly in Nairobi, Kenya. Established in 2010, the company builds a network of low-cost sanitation centers equipped with essential facilities such as toilets and showers. These centers are then franchised to local entrepreneurs, with financial support from microfinance institutions. Sanergy not only provides access to hygienic sanitation but also collects human waste daily for processing. This waste is converted into valuable byproducts, including organic fertilizers and renewable energy through a biogas generation process. The organic fertilizers are sold to both commercial farms and smallholder farmers, while the generated biogas is used to produce electricity for sale. Sanergy's mission is to promote public health and environmental sustainability by creating an efficient and equitable sanitation system that addresses the needs of underserved urban communities.

SolarNow provides solar energy and financing solutions in East Africa through a subsidiary, offering solar home systems, electrical appliances, and power solutions for rural and urban households, entrepreneurs, and institutions. The company serves households, small businesses, farming operations, and corporate customers with flexible credit and service options to access clean, affordable energy. Founded in 2011 by Willem Nolens, it is headquartered in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, with operations in Uganda and Kenya.

EthioChicken is a prominent poultry production company based in East Africa, comprising several operational entities including AGP Poultry PLC, Mekelle Farms Ltd, and Andasa Poultry PLC. The company focuses on breeding and hatchery operations, primarily producing day-old chickens, along with affordable and blended feed. EthioChicken collaborates with smallholder farmers to enhance nutrition and improve livelihoods in rural areas. By providing accessible poultry products, the company aims to create income opportunities for farmers, contributing to the overall development of the local agricultural sector.

Sanergy, Inc. focuses on enhancing sanitation infrastructure in urban slums, particularly in Nairobi, Kenya. Established in 2010, the company builds a network of low-cost sanitation centers equipped with essential facilities such as toilets and showers. These centers are then franchised to local entrepreneurs, with financial support from microfinance institutions. Sanergy not only provides access to hygienic sanitation but also collects human waste daily for processing. This waste is converted into valuable byproducts, including organic fertilizers and renewable energy through a biogas generation process. The organic fertilizers are sold to both commercial farms and smallholder farmers, while the generated biogas is used to produce electricity for sale. Sanergy's mission is to promote public health and environmental sustainability by creating an efficient and equitable sanitation system that addresses the needs of underserved urban communities.

Juhudi Kilimo provides asset financing, technical assistance, and business training to smallholder farmers and rural agribusinesses in Kenya. The company offers loans for dairy cows and goats, poultry, pigs, rabbits, fish farming, and other livestock, as well as financing for agricultural equipment, irrigation, agro-processing and energy-related equipment, and vehicles such as motorcycles and bicycles to transport farm goods. It operates as a microfinance institution focused on empowering rural livelihoods by delivering transformative financing alongside financial literacy and technical training. Founded in 2004 and based in Nairobi, Juhudi Kilimo supports clients across rural Kenya with flexible financing solutions designed to expand agricultural productivity and income.

Gulu Agricultural Development Company (GADC) is a cotton ginning company based in Northern Uganda that supports over 55,000 smallholder farmers by providing them with access to the international agricultural market. The company aims to revitalize the region's cotton industry, which was severely impacted by decades of war and political instability. GADC offers essential support to former refugees, helping them regain their livelihoods. It provides farmers with inputs to enhance yields, purchases cotton and sesame for cash, and processes these crops for export to national and international buyers. This enables smallholder farmers to improve production efficiency and gain market access.

Established in Kenya since 1986, Western Seed Company specializes in developing and distributing high-quality seed varieties. Its primary focus is on maize hybrids resistant to diseases like streak virus and grey leaf spot, as well as drought-tolerant varieties. The company also offers open-pollinated maize varieties, sorghum, millets, beans, and peas.