These 15 startups are vying for victory at African Utility Week

From 17 to 19 May, leading players in the African water, energy, and electricity spaces will converge on the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) for African Utility Week. Joining them will be 15 startups — ranging from an Aquaponic farming outfit and a geyser switch company to makers of data gathering software — for the conference’s Innovation Hub.

The finalists will each receive a free exhibition stand within the Innovation Hub area for the duration of the three-day exhibition and showcase their developments or inventions through live presentations. Four of the entrants have also earned speaking slots in the Innovation Hub conference sessions. They will furthermore meet industry incumbents, VC funders, project developers, incubators and be able to interact with the 6000+ visitors at African Utility Week. The winner of the Innovation Hub Award will be announced during the African Utility Week Industry Awards gala dinner on 18 May.

The Innovation Hub finalists are (in no specific order):

1. PowerOptimal

Power demand management technology that is commercially proven in diverse installations such as hotels, office buildings, shopping malls and golf courses.

2. Tiisetso Dev Solutions (Pty) Ltd/TDS Innovations
A cost effective early warning device that is an addition to the existing ready board currently deployed by government for the electrification of low-income houses, known as RDP homes.

3. Bontle Ke Tlhago

This co-operative offers a waste sorting service and sells the waste product on to suitable buy back centres.

4. GCX Africa
A sustainability services company that provides consulting for all matters that relating to water, waste, energy and carbon.

5. WHC
This start-up water conservation business currently focuses on a Leak-Less Valve.

6. SAGIFON Technologies

A wireless geyser control system.

7. Aquaponic Farmer (Pty) Ltd

The company assists in setting up aquaponic farming practices as well as growing high quality lettuce.

8. SeeSaw
Innovative mobile technologies that assist with data generating to produce useful and actionable information for water utilities, and other clients that support the water sector.

9. D&C Technologies (Pty) Ltd
D&C Technologies have engineered a far more efficient method of heating the water in a geyser by perfecting the positioning of a newly designed element within the geyser itself.

10. Solarus
Solarus develops, produces and sells hybrid solar PowerCollectors™ and integrated project solutions, creating four times more energy per square meter compared to normal PV.

11. Ekasi Energy
Ekasi Energy has developed a pico-solar home system that lights, charges batteries and cooks indoors without any smoke using eco-friendly biomass pellets.

12. HeliosLite

Portable sun tracking solar solution for decentralised PV energy production.

13. Garth Middleton

Combined rinse/flush system for a urinal – a noteworthy innovation and application that will collectively reduce water wastage by having a 2 in 1 process.

14. Mobile4Energy

Mobile4Energy has developed a proprietary cross-sector mediation platform that provides utilities with an end-to-end meter to cash solution that costs a third of what it costs them today.

15. Upande

Upande is a Kenya company that provides internet web mapping and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) services to a variety of clients.