Two Kenyan Startups are among six that have made it to a global contest among the most promising innovative start-ups to meet Africa's current energy challenges that can contribute to its economic development.
Knights and Apps, along with Octavia Carbon, emerged as the victors in the Eastern African leg of the EDF Pulse Africa Tour, a key component of the broader EDF Pulse Africa innovation competition.
The EDF Pulse Africa Tour, launched in 2019, is conducted in partnership with African incubators and other EDF institutional partners, with the objective of meeting innovative start-ups on the ground.
The grand finale is set to take place in Paris in December, and will feature the six finalists.
EDF Kenya managing director Dennis Keya, said that the program aims to support the most promising innovative startups in tackling the continent's pressing energy challenges and promoting economic growth.
“The EDF Pulse Awards in Africa are the cornerstone of a broader Pan-African Open Innovation strategy, nurturing the brightest innovations from the African continent. Knights and Apps and Octavia Carbon, the winning startups showcased solutions that have the potential to reshape the energy landscape and significantly benefit local communities,” said Keya.
In the recent Eastern African finals held during the Africarena Nairobi Summit on September 6th and 7th, the two standout candidates were selected from a pool of 28 shortlisted startups, illustrating the vibrant and dynamic entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem in Eastern Africa.
Knights and Apps is a company that designs renewable energy solutions for industrial, commercial, and residential applications that enable individuals and organizations to be part of a sustainable green energy powered world.
Octavia Carbon was honored with the jury's special prize for innovation in climate change solutions. This company's mission is to develop and deploy Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC) machines in Kenya, with the goal of making Kenya the world's most cost-effective hub for permanent CO2 removal from the atmosphere by 2025.
In the final event scheduled for December, the two winners will have the opportunity to secure prizes of up to €20,000 (Sh3.1 million) and gain entry into the EDF Pulse Africa Accelerator.
This accelerator program brings together stakeholders committed to supporting the growth of African startups in the energy access sector.
This initiative builds on the foundation of the EDF Pulse awards, which were initiated in 2012 and have since facilitated the emergence and support of 1,500 innovative projects in France, the UK, and Italy.
EDF's strategy involves identifying potential partners, fostering its own ecosystem, and providing visibility to young innovative African enterprises, all to enhance agility and better address market demands.