The 12th Sankalp Africa Summit, held in Nairobi on February 26-27, brought together entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to drive Africa’s clean energy transition. The summit served as a platform for innovation, highlighting how entrepreneurial talent can address pressing challenges such as food insecurity, climate change, and gaps in healthcare and education.
A key partner at the event was Energy Catalyst, an Innovate UK programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology under the Ayrton Fund. Energy Catalyst, through its Accelerator Programme managed by the Carbon Trust, supports African energy innovators by facilitating strategic partnerships, fostering ideation, and promoting cross-sector collaboration.
One of the most impactful sessions, hosted by Energy Catalyst, focused on adapting climate innovations to Africa’s diverse needs. Experts and investors emphasized the importance of localized solutions, leveraging partnerships, and deploying innovative financing mechanisms to ensure long-term sustainability.
This year’s event featured nine pioneering Energy Catalyst-backed companies showcasing solutions that enhance livelihoods and build climate resilience:
- Mandulis Energy (Uganda): A circular economy model that converts agricultural waste into clean energy for processing crops, cooking, and fertilizer production.
- NjordFrey (Rwanda): AI-driven aquaponic farming to enhance food security for rural smallholder farmers.
- GreenPower Overseas (Nigeria): Providing solar home systems and cooling solutions to underserved communities.
- Hubl Logistics (Malawi): CoolRun technology enables instant cold-chain logistics without costly refrigerated trucks.
- Open Energy Labs (Zambia): Smart Solar Ready Board hybridizes multiple energy sources to enhance energy independence.
- Direct Impact Partners: Solar-powered cold and dry storage for farmers.
- SHIELD (Kenya): Solarizing hospitals through innovative financing.
- Africa Power: Solar-powered mosquito repellent dispensers for off-grid households.
- Agsol: Solar-powered milling technology for affordable staple food processing.
Energy Catalyst participants lauded the summit as a transformative networking opportunity, fostering partnerships with investors and stakeholders. With over 600 million Africans lacking electricity, scalable clean energy solutions are critical. As Sankalp Africa Summit continues to strengthen the ecosystem, Energy Catalyst remains committed to accelerating Africa’s sustainable energy future.
