On November 23rd 2018, Black Star Energy, after pitching in front of EDF Top executive and competing against 9 other African finalists, has won the second EDF Pulse Africa 2018 awards with a price of EUR10,000.

The 10 finalists have been invited for a week in Paris to participate to three days coaching session in EDF training center called “The Lab” to accelerate their ability to pitch their innovation. They were selected by EDF from a panel of 432 startups from 24 African countries.

This second edition is a very successful edition. Having attracted 4 times more entries than last year, EDF Pulse Africa has confirmed the momentum of African start-ups and their interest in EDF’s support. “EDF is committed to support African startups willing to growing the continent’s energy sector” explained Olivier CLEMENT, EDF Country representative in Ghana.

Black Star Energy from Ghana is specialized in the development of mini-grids. The company already operates 15 of them in the country and aims to connect more than 12 000 Ghanaians to the grid by the end of the year.

The system has a very high capability factor (over 98%) and allows clients to track their energy usage and pay their bills via smartphone. The customer relation platform is flexible enough to meet a wide range of customer needs and apply customized time-of-use tariffs.

For Nicole Pointdexter the start-up’s CEO, this award represents a great opportunity to get in touch with a major international company like EDF, but especially to strengthen its credibility in the field related to access to energy in Africa.

But EDF support with startups awarded doesn’t end with this final. This is just the beginning of a program to facilitate their development: operational and financial advice, project development partnerships with local players and with EDF experts, access to EDF’s innovation ecosystem (EDF’s R&D function and creativity labs). EDF is doing its best to put Black Star Energy on the ramp of bigger success.

“You are a start-up and you would like to be supported by EDF? Be part of EDF Pulse Africa 2019. Next session will start mid of 2019!” said Mr. CLEMENT, EDF Representative in Ghana.

Background

EDF announces the prize-winners of the 2nd EDF Pulse Africa competition

On the 23rd of November 2018, a prize-giving ceremony was held in Paris to reward the four winners of the second EDF Pulse Africa competition, the purpose of which is to identify and support African innovators committed to growing the continent’s energy sector.

Having attracted 4 times more entries than last year, EDF Pulse Africa has confirmed the momentum of African start-ups and their interest in EDF’s support.

EDF Pulse Africa 2018 attracted 432 projects from 24 African countries, most of them English-speaking, compared with 103 projects from 17 countries last year. From among the 10 finalists, the multi-disciplinary Grand Jury awarded prizes to the following:

1st prize: SAVANNA CIRCUIT TECH (“Electricity uses & services” category; Kenya)

Savanna Circuit Tech Ltd. submitted a solar-powered portable milk-cooling system. This system reduces milk losses, which are highly detrimental for small-holder farmers and which are due to transportation distances and the absence of preservation infrastructures. The system also helps to combat food insecurity by eliminating the risk of bacteria proliferation. In addition, the solution comprises a platform which can be accessed by smartphone and which enables milk producers to maximise their profits.

2nd prize: BLACK STAR ENERGY LTD (“Off-grid power generation” category; Ghana)

This start-up from Ghana specializes in the development of mini-grids. The company already operates 15 of them in Ghana and aims to connect more than 12 000 Ghanaians to the grid by the end of the year. The system has a very high capability factor (over 98%) and allows clients to track their energy usage and pay their bills via smartphone. The customer relation platform is flexible enough to meet a wide range of customer needs and apply customized time-of-use tariffs.

3rd prize: SOLARCREED (“Off-grid power” category; Nigeria)

SolarCreed provides Nigerian poultry farmers with solar-powered lighting systems as a replacement for fossil-fuelled lighting systems which accounts for 30% of farmers’ operation costs. Using solar panels, long-life lithium-ion batteries and LED lamps, this system provides up to 10 hours of lighting.

Joint 3rd prize: WATER ACCESS RWANDA (“Access to water” category; Rwanda)

Water Access Rwanda has developed a solar-powered kiosk for the distribution of drinking water. It comprises a water treatment and distribution device called "INUMA", powered by solar energy and equipped with a powerful filtration system. One INUMA kiosk can provide 2 500 people with purified drinking water. In addition, the INUMA kiosk also serves as a sales outlet for sanitation products, filters, chlorine tablets and telecommunication services, as well as savings and micro-finance systems.

Special prize: SAVE OUR AGRICULTURE (“Access to water” category; Cameroon)

Specializing in aquaponics (a food production system that combines aquaculture with agriculture) this start-up designs kits, for individual and professional clients, that use fish waste as fertilizer to grow organic food. The product is powered by solar panels ; it requires 10% of the amount of water used by traditional farming methods, reduces the amount of impurities in fish water tanks by 90% and eliminates the use of chemical fertilizers.