The Etablissement public d'aménagement Euroméditerranée (EPAEM) is awarding prizes to the start-ups GreenNKool and AgroPad, in the framework of the 2020-2021 edition of the Med'Innovant Africa competition. The winners, respectively of the "Jury Prize" and the "Coup de Coeur Prize" will receive 7,000 and 2,500 euros.
France, through the Marseille-based public development institution Euroméditerranée (EPAEM), supports “sustainable and resilient cities” projects by start-ups and SMEs (small and medium-sized African enterprises) in Africa. The institution has just awarded prizes to the start-ups GreenNKool and AgroPad.
The Malagasy start-up GreenNKool is the winner of the “Jury Prize” of the Med’Innovant Africa 2020-2021 competition. The competition, organised since 2019 by EPAEM aims to encourage young companies working for sustainable development in Africa. GreenNKool raises awareness and trains people in the sorting and recovery of waste, such as used food oils that are usually poured down the drain. These oils are transformed into eco-friendly soap. GreenNKool has obtained a 7,000 euro grant to develop its solution, called “Alt. Soap”.
Technical support
The GreenNKool start-up, founded by Marie Christina Kolo, will also benefit from four weeks of technical support from the Accélérateur.M, a programme of the Social & Inclusive Business Camp (SIBC) designed by the French Development Agency (AFD), as well as a €1,000 grant. The start-up will also benefit from legal coaching provided by the law firm Fidal, a one-year membership to the Africalink business network and a dedicated sponsorship, mentoring with connections to elected officials in the chambers of commerce and industry of their respective countries, and finally a visibility push (media communication, social networks, video interviews, etc.).
The second prize of the Med’Innovant Africa 2020-2021 competition, the “Coup de Coeur” prize, was awarded to the start-up AgroPad, directed by Erik Gyslain Tiam. The Cameroonian start-up develops solar irrigation systems that can be controlled from a mobile phone. In addition to technical support, AgroPad received a €2,500 prize.
Irrigation systems on a plantation in Cameroon©AgroPad
More than 183 start-ups located in 27 African countries took part in the 2020-2021 edition of the Med’Innovant Africa competition. In 2019, the Euroméditerranée public development establishment rewarded the Senegalese start-up Senor’Dur, specialising in waste management, as well as the Cameroonian start-up Promagric. The latter has developed an application called “Clinicplant”, which enables farmers to diagnose plant diseases more quickly and thus find an appropriate biological treatment.
Inès Magoum
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