Kampala Impact Day 2021
Connecting social entrepreneurs and investors
OVO (Entrepreneurs For Entrepreneurs) and Einstein Rising hosted the first Kampala Impact Day company fair on 31st March 2021 in Kampala - Uganda. The fair showcased over 40 entrepreneurs, including social entrepreneurs from the OVO and Einstein Rising networks with the aim of connecting social entrepreneurs to each other, NGOs, impact investors, and local business angel investors. Since 2019, the Uganda Response Innovation Lab has been partnering with OVO on their Sustech4Africa competition, nominating startups that meet the objectives of being innovative, aligning with sustainable development goals (environmental, social, economic), and using technology.
During the fair, the companies set up branded booths to showcase their products and spoke about their successes, their challenges, and their paths forward. Of the 16 innovators that pitched their companies, eight were selected to the pool by OVO based on their partnership with Innovation hubs in Uganda including the Response Innovation Lab.
The Uganda RIL nominated the following three enterprises for the Kampala Impact Day:
Gorilla Conservation Coffee (GCCoffee) is a social enterprise that produces a premium specialty coffee brand while engaging smallholder farmers around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in sustainable coffee farming. In the Bwindi area, poverty is one of the biggest inducers of harmful human behaviors like poaching that threaten the Bwindi forest ecosystem and its wildlife. The GCCoffee business model supports income generation and alternative livelihoods which leads to a reduction in poverty. The enterprise also contributes $1.50 from every packed coffee bag sold towards the protection of the endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi.
Click here to read more
BODAWERK International Ltd. is a Ugandan social enterprise developing battery technology and producing an intelligent energy storage system for productive use. Their target sectors are energy with PV systems and EV-charging systems, mobility with their electric motorcycles (E-Boda) and tricycles, agriculture with their electric tractor (E-Trak), and healthcare with an electric wheelchair (E-Wheely).
All products are locally assembled and maintained in Uganda. They are propelled by an electric drivetrain containing batteries, electric motors, controllers, a wiring harness, and user controls. The electric wheelchair specifically is equipped with a joystick for speed and directional control aimed at enabling independent movement of persons with walking disabilities. BODAWERK is also active in the field of battery recycling (circular economy) and recycles/reuses Lithium-ion battery cells from dead laptop battery packs that are aggregated by electronics and scrap dealers in Kampala. Using Lithium-ion batteries from redundant laptops contributes to the reduction of accumulated waste stock in Uganda.
Click here to read more
Technology for Tomorrow Ltd (T4T) offers healthcare waste management through a range of high-grade stainless steel incinerators designed to meet the demands of health centres (II, III, IV) and hospitals (regional and referral) across the country. Their range of solutions includes incinerators for schools to aid manage menstrual hygiene waste, as well as healthcare waste from school sickbays. The incinerators provide an affordable and safe solution of infectious waste treatment including used syringes and disposable PPE used in health care.
Click here to read more
The Kampala Impact Day was concluded by announcing the top three entrepreneurs in the OVO category:
Pelere Group - provides customer-centered organic cosmetics and personal care products from Shea nuts)
Bwindi Gorilla Coffee - see their description above
Pamoja Wallet -an app wallet for online banking
The top three entrepreneurs in the Einstein Rising category
Miagro Shoppers - a digital shopping platform connecting entrepreneurs to customers in Africa),
Coin Worth Uganda - a community based organization providing support structures necessary for building a strong convenient saving culture amongst low income earners.
AB Industrial hub - facilitates owners, CEOs, CFOs & plant managers of Ugandan and East African manufacturing and processing operations
The winning entrepreneurs are eligible for loans and coaching from OVO and Einstein Rising . All 16 entrepreneurs will be included in the OVO and Einstein Rising partner network for mentorship opportunities, learning exchanges, and future partnership and investment opportunities.
To watch the entire event please visit Kampala Impact Day