2 Kenyans Among Finalists for Ksh168 Million Earthshot Prize in UK

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Ronald Pfende, CFO d.light (left) and Francis Nderitu, Founder and MD of Keep IT Cool, 16 October 2024.
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Earthshot

Efforts to make a difference in Africa and the world at large have landed two Kenyan startups international recognition.

Solar home systems maker d.light and Keep IT Cool, a solar-powered refrigeration solutions company are among the 15 finalists competing for £1 million (Ksh 168 million) in this year’s Earthshot Prize.

The companies are competing for the global environmental award founded by the Royal Foundation and the U.K.’s Prince William. The award celebrates the most innovative and impactful creations that make a change in the environment.

The Earth Shot Prize finds and grows the solutions that will repair the planet.

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d.light(left) & Keep it Cool are among 15 finalists in the Earthshot Awards, 16 October 2024.
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Earthshot

d.light makes life brighter for millions of people by bringing clean and affordable power to rural African communities, aiming to reach one billion people by 2030.

d.light took a pioneering role in 2007 to change the trajectory in most African communities where millions of people relied on burning carbon-heavy kerosene in lamps and stoves, or running diesel generators for lighting and cooking, which threatened the environment and people’s health and quality of life.

d.light took a pioneering role in the off-grid solar and clean energy sector. Their mission is to transform the lives of one billion people by 2030 by targeting communities that currently do not have access to clean and reliable energy options. It sells solar home systems and appliances to customers in Africa and India. 

Keep IT Cool (KIC) on its part provides sustainable refrigeration and smart distribution solutions for small farmers and fishers. It helps extend the shelf life of their produce, reduces spoilage, and creates more stable incomes. 

By improving profits and cutting down on food waste, KIC is helping build a more sustainable future for these communities.

Keep It Cool seeks to provide a solution for the food lost from farm-to-fork, a challenge that has been in many African markets.

With inadequate cold storage and transport systems in place, fisherfolk on the Kenyan side of Lake Victoria are losing up to half of their catch every day. They address these challenges of food spoilage by providing sustainable, localized refrigeration systems that help small farmers and fishers preserve their produce. 

Apart from the Kenyan start-ups, Ghana-based youth-led waste management group Gayo is the other African contender for the prize.

The prize seeks to discover, spotlight, and help scale innovative solutions "the world needs if it is to collectively achieve critical environmental goals."

This year five solutions will be awarded £1million (Ksh 168 Million) in the Earthshort Prize Award that is running for only a decade. The 15 finalists were selected from nearly 2,500 nominees. We wish them all the best!

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Keep It Cool offers refrigeration solutions for communities, 2024.
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Earthshot