Startup Night Africa, The Hague 2024
As a key driver of Lionesses of Africa’s ‘Access to Markets and Investment Programme,’ Start-Up Night Africa in The Hague aimed to connect Africa’s high-growth women entrepreneurs to European investment opportunities, and women entrepreneurs in The Netherlands looking to access African markets and partnerships. We showcased 10 inspirational women entrepreneurs in growth-mode at the event on 11 June 2024, all looking for new investment, markets, and collaboration opportunities. If you didn’t get to meet each of them on the evening, then take a look at their pitch videos below, which have all been published on the Lionesses of Africa website, and make those all important connections now.
Sasha Knott, Co-Founder of Job Crystal (South Africa/UK)
Job Crystal recruits talent using AI and a human touch.
Job Crystal is a Recruitment Technology business, founded by two female entrepreneurs experienced in Technology and Recruitment. They have developed an award-winning AI tool, called Crystal, to help the end user have a simpler better way to recruit. Their technology was originally developed in South Africa, since then the company has also opened in the United Kingdom and remains steadfast in their vision to make a dent in unemployment.
Website: www.jobcrystal.com
Dr Salma Bougarrani, Founder of GREEN WATECH (Morocco)
GREEN WATECH is a low-tech solution for wastewater treatment and reuse for irrigating vegetables destined for human consumption.
GREEN WATECH is a Morocco-based company that offers a low-tech solution for wastewater treatment and reuse for irrigating vegetables destined for human consumption called SoilBased Filter (SBF). The solution does not require any energy to operate, works only with gravity, and is adapted to rural and decentralized areas. Our vision is to become the leading organization in Morocco in decentralized sanitation services with a special focus on the African market and to democratize the right of access to water and sanitation for all. Since 2018, GREEN WATECH has brought safe sanitation services to more than 21,000 people in 23 villages and farms across Morocco, and hopes to double the number of rural communities receiving safe sanitation services by 2025.
Website: www.greenwatech.com
Joyce Kamande, Founder of Safi Organics (Kenya)
Safi Organics, harnessing the power of technology to create an impact- driven fertilizer production business.
Safi Organics is decentralizing fertilizer production using a combination of technology innovation and proprietary recipes to enable profitable, village- based production of high-yield, carbon-negative fertilizers from locally available crop residues and labor that help rural farmers reverse soil degradation and improve their yields by up to 30%. We have created employment for over 600 rural youths within our production plant in Kirinyaga-Kenya which can produce over 10 tons/day of fertilizers serving around 15,000 farmers. Because our fertilizer blends are rich in recalcitrant carbon, for each acre of field that utilizes our output, about 1.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent is being sequestered into the soil every year for at least hundreds of years. At scale, we envision this to sequester around 3 gigatonnes per year of CO2 equivalent. We are being certified through existing offset standards, PURO Earth, and are actively seeking to speak with prospective carbon offset purchasers.
Website: www.safiorganics.co.ke
Dupe Killa-Kafidipe, Founder of Platinum Fisheries (Nigeria)
Platinum Fisheries, an ethical and sustainable B2B seafood production company.
Platinum Fisheries is a Nigerian-based, holistic fish farming company that promotes ethical and sustainable fish production practices. Platinum aims to increase local food security with a sustainable protein source, empower local fish farmers (with training, mentoring, and trade aggregation) to generate sustainable livelihoods and tackle climate change. The company also offers fish fingerlings sales from a hatchery line to other fish farms. Platinum Fisheries’ current production capacity is 390 metric tonnes per annum, a 40% increase compared to the previous year’s. It plans to scale operations by implementing a bioech-driven system - Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS) - which recycles and reuses water. This game-changing technology will cut operational costs by almost 50%, and allow the company to scale efficiently, sustainably, and profitably.
Website: platinumfishfarm.com
Siny Samba, Founder of Le Lionceau (Senegal)
Le Lionceau, a social enterprise producing nutritious baby food to build an inclusive, high impact food value chain in Senegal.
Le Lionceau is a Senegalese social enterprise that processes, produces, and distributes from farm to fork, locally sourced baby food products formulated from African indigenous crops. Our diverse range of products, including baby purees, infant flour and biscuits, prioritizes the nutritional needs of babies while championing African indigenous flavours. Through workshops, we empower communities with nutritional education and promote local consumption, fostering economic development. Our mission extends to reducing food waste, strengthening the local food value chain, and nurturing healthier children. Le Lionceau is committed to both quality and local origin, contributing to sustainable practices and empowering women in Senegal.
Website: www.le-lionceau.com
Barbara Gwanmesia, Founder of Batazia (Netherlands)
Batazia – Translation AI for African languages.
Batazia develops Translation & Language AI solutions that enable effective text and audio translation & localization of content, education, and product experiences from, into, and across African languages. We desire knowledge, information, education, entertainment and digital services to be accessible in every African’s mother tongue, to improve their quality of life and expand their economic options. Businesses, freelancers, educators, researchers, developers, and governments, can achieve more accurate document translation and app localization results, as well as benefit from generative AI applications for native African languages which are currently unavailable. By digitizing Africa’s languages and enabling them for AI, we seek to contribute to Africa’s transition into a digital and tech-enabled future.
Website: www.batazia.com
Thekla Teunis, Founder of Grounded (Netherlands)
Grounded supports farmers in their transition towards regenerative agriculture, and helps buyers access high-quality, ethical products.
The Grounded Investment Company is on a mission to scale regenerative agriculture in Africa, by making it economically attractive for smallholder farmers. We invest in a key leverage point in the value chain: processing companies. Processing companies are well-positioned in the value chain, with the economic heft to generate tangible impact for thousands of farmers. We are backed by a growing group of investors who are equally committed to transforming the food system. We focus on high value crops such as spices, coffee and tea. Our team has ten years of experience in building regenerative agriculture ventures - and our first investments are proving that our model can work.
Website: www.grounded.co.za
Marieke de Ruyter de Wildt, Founder of Open Food Chain (Netherlands)
Open Food Chain (OFC) connects data from farm to fork.
OFC is a tech firm leveraging blockchain technology to build a public data infrastructure for more connected, transparent and sustainable food supply chains. Our team of experts is dedicated to delivering a high- quality, scalable, and secure infrastructure that meets the unique needs of the agrifood industry.
Website: www.openfoodchain.com
Solange Domaye, Founder of Symfonio BV (Netherlands)
Symfonio, a pioneering force in organic African food production and distribution, empowering over 2,000 women cooperatives in Burkina Faso.
Symfonio bv is a pioneering force in the realm of organic African food production and distribution, collaborating closely with over 2,000 women cooperatives to cultivate and distribute organic fonio, a nutrient-rich grain. By creating direct and equitable partnerships with women cooperatives in Africa, we can help them achieve financial independence and improve their livelihoods. Thanks to the utilization of modern techniques, women cooperatives and small farmers can cultivate, clean, and process fonio. This nutritious grain not only serves as a source of sustenance for their families but also provides an opportunity for them to sell it at local markets and export the surplus for additional income. By fostering the growth of fonio, these practices contribute to the well-being, livelihoods, and independence of rural communities, particularly women.
Website: www.symfonio.bio
Merel Van der Lei, CEO of Wyzetalk (Netherlands)
Wyzetalk: the smart solution to connect and engage with frontline workers.
With a proven track record of adding value to organisations in emerging markets, Wyzetalk’s mobile employee experience platform enables companies to connect with their frontline and non-desk workers, across multiple business sites and complex structures. From crisis and mission critical comms to access to training and smart HR, Wyzetalk provides employers with the solution to reach their often dispersed workforce at any time, from any where and on any device. No more reliance on notice boards, heavy paper footprints and broken telephone or queuing systems: Wyzetalk’s mobile platform creates access and opportunities for the often disconnected and underpriviliged frontline, while significantly impacting businesses’ bottom-lines.
Website: www.wyzetalk.com