A Kenyan company on Wednesday, November 6 beat global competition to clinch the main prize during the Earthshot Prize awards.
Keep IT Cool was the winner in the ‘Build a Waste-Free World’ category at the star-studded awards ceremony that was held in Cape Town, South Africa. The company was one of the five overall winners out of a pool of 15 finalists in the Earthshot Prize competition. With this victory, the company is set to receive one million pounds (about Ksh166.1 million in the current exchange rates) to accelerate and scale the impact of its innovative solutions.
Founded by Prince William and incubated in the Royal Foundation in 2020 for a year before becoming an independent platform/organization, The Earthshot Prize is a global environmental prize and platform designed to discover, accelerate, and scale ground-breaking solutions to repair and regenerate the planet.
The prize aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism by championing inspiring leadership and helping to scale up cutting-edge solutions in combatting climate change. It aims to discover 50 winners over ten years with the power to repair the planet.
Keep IT Cool (KIC) is a Kenyan company that addresses the challenge of food spoilage by providing sustainable, localized refrigeration systems that help small farmers and fishers preserve their produce.
By installing solar-powered cold storage units where fish are landed, KIC significantly reduces spoilage and waste by ensuring the catch stays fresh and managing its transport to market.
With plans to grow into East Africa and beyond, KIC is working towards expanding its activities in poultry, fruit, and vegetables and aims to bring its solution to more communities.
While speaking after receiving the award, KIC’s Founder and Managing Director Francis Nderitu expressed his gratitude to the Prince William-led initiative for the recognition. He also reiterated the company’s objective to provide sustainable storage solutions and improve food supply in Kenya.
“We are on a mission to revolutionize the food supply chain in East Africa. We are grateful for the recognition from The Earthshot Prize, and it is an important milestone for Keep IT Cool. We will continue to enhance market access, reduce waste, and build climate resilience for small-scale fish and poultry farmers throughout the region,” the MD noted.
In addition to the cash prize, each of the 15 Earthshot Prize Finalists will receive dedicated mentorship, resources, and technical support through the year-long Earthshot Prize Fellowship Programme.
While speaking at the event, Prince William noted, “I believe our world can be rich in possibility, in hope, and in optimism. That is why The Earthshot Prize exists. To champion the game-changers, the inventors, the makers, the creatives, the leaders; to help them build upon the amazing things they’ve already achieved; to speed their innovations to scale and to inspire the next generation to create the future we all need."
