Green Technologies

Green technologies offer huge potential for increased productivity, resource efficiency and innovation. Eco-inclusive enterprises which apply green technologies significantly contribute to climate change mitigation and economic and social inclusion. SEED-supported enterprises use information and communication technologies to share agronomic practices and extend access to financing, develop e-commerce markets for sustainable consumption and transport, process agricultural waste into energy sources for heating and cooking, produce biodegradable goods such as plates from natural fibres, deliver mobile classroom infrastructure to communities and more.

Call for applications: launch of the SAG-SEED Replicator Connect Workshops in Kenya & Uganda

Published: 23 February 2017
SEED and SWITCH-Africa Green are pleased to invite applications for SAG-SEED Replicator Connect Workshops in Kenya and Uganda. Read more
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Call for applications: launch of the second SAG-SEED Starter in Ghana & Uganda

Published: 24 January 2017
Time for the second cohorts: Switch Africa Green and SEED announce today a call for applications for the second rounds of the Starter Months in both Ghana and Uganda. Read more
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Call for Applications for the 2017 SAG-SEED Awards

Published: 10 January 2017
SEED has opened the call for applications for 15 SWITCH Africa Green (SAG) – SEED Awards for enterprises in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda. Read more
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Turning challenges in impact investing into prototype innovations

Published: 05 December 2016Authors: Kay Eunkyung Kang, Rainer Agster
Kenya, where our first Impact Financing Lab took place, is one of the global centres of impact investing! But even there, many challenges for deal flow exist… Read more
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Two ways to turn waste into money: Meet the 2016 SEED Award Winners in India

Published: 25 November 2016
The two winning eco-inclusive enterprises of the 2016 SEED Awards in India are Green the Map and Waste Ventures India! Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Waste Ventures India

Published: 24 November 2016
Toter - the enterprise’s “Uber for trash” mobile app and website - brings the convenient collection of recyclables to the doorstep of Indian homes and businesses. Waste Ventures India (WVI) makes this possible by partnering with waste pickers and scrap dealers. Read more
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Spurring the replication of eco-inclusive enterprises – towards a collaborative integrative support approach

Published: 16 November 2016Authors: Lina Frank, Mirko Zürker
At the 2016 SEED Africa Symposium in Nairobi Ligia Noronha, Director of the UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, underlined that “Replication is a key theme to foster green growth and sustainable development”. But replication demands targeted support at every stage, which calls for collaboration between diverse support providers and a strong ecosystem. Read more
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Launch of the Second SAG-SEED Starter Months in Kenya

Published: 16 November 2016
Want to set up an eco-inclusive enterprise? SEED announces the second round of the SAG-SEED Starter Months in Kenya Read more
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SEED shares experiences at the SwitchMed Connect Conference on 19th and 20th October in Barcelona

Published: 08 November 2016
The SwitchMed Connect Conference is an annual gathering of stakeholders of the Mediterranean ecosystem to share stories, expertise and experience on eco-inclusive entrepreneurship. SEED was invited to contribute to the panel “Green Entrepreneurship Training and Support Programmes”. Read more
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Scaling Innovation at the Energy-Agriculture Nexus in East Africa

Published: 27 October 2016Authors: Christian Pirzer, Christine Meyer
With this year’s theme of the World Food Day on October 16th, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) chose a strong message that tackles key issues of our modern global society. Indeed, climate, energy and agriculture are all interconnected. Read more
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From innovative off-grid mobile solar power stations to the polymerised bitumen roads from recycled plastic - Meet the 2016 SEED Award Winners

Published: 28 September 2016
At SEED's largest annual international forum, the SEED Africa Symposium, SEED announced the 20 winners of the 2016 SEED Awards, today. These 20 outstanding eco-inclusive enterprises will be honoured during the international SEED Award Ceremony this evening. Read more
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Training Business Development Service Providers to Boost Eco-Inclusive Innovations

Published: 14 September 2016Authors: Rainer Agster
Working with more than 220 enterprises in 38 countries, we soon realized that although each enterprise is unique, topics are reoccurring. Instead of re-inventing the wheel each time, we put time and effort into ‘toolifying’ our support. Read more
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Scaling Innovation at the Energy-Agriculture Nexus in East Africa: A Sectoral Business Condition Brief

Published: 01 September 2016Authors: Allison Robertshaw, Amélie Heuër, Christian Pirzer, Christine Meyer, Dr. Christina Tewes-Gradl, Jona Liebl
Energy and agriculture form a nexus. On one hand, energy can be generated by using crops, agricultural residues, and livestock waste. On the other hand, substantial amounts of energy are required along the agricultural and food processing value chain, accounting for around 30 % of the global energy consumption. Read more
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From workshop to market in seven weeks

Published: 22 July 2016
The first steps as a startup are the hardest, especially for eco-inclusive startups in emerging markets. It all comes down to the right spirit and lion-hearted attitude. Read more
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SEED Annual Report 2015

Published: 07 July 2016Authors: Allison Robertshaw, Jona Liebl, Marion Müller vom Berge, Rainer Agster
2015 was also a special year for SEED, in which the partnership celebrated 10 Years of SEED Awards, and took the opportunity to take stock and publish a comprehensive Flagship Report that looked not only on the success of former SEED Winners and the lessons learnt over those 10 Years of SEED Awards, but also on opportunities that could help increase the impact of locally-driven social and environmental entrepreneurship in the years to come. This and more you will find in the Anual Report Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Farmerline

Published: 05 July 2016
Farmerline provides information and services needed by farmers like best agronomic practices, weather data, literacy training and market prices through its developed mobile software technology. The localized data help transform smallholder farmers into successful entrepreneurs and mitigate some of the harmful effects of climate change. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Magiro Hydro Electric Limited (MHEL)

Published: 05 July 2016
Magiro Hydro Electricity Limited (MHEL) uses modified bicycle parts and simple motors to generate hydropower from a local waterfall, supplying inexpensive, renewable energy to rural village residents who would otherwise use kerosene and firewood. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Sahelia Solar

Published: 05 July 2016
A leading solar company in Burkina Faso, Sahelia Solar is now starting to provide solar energy systems to off-grid agro-processing plants managed by rural cooperatives. The pay-as-you-go model provides people in rural areas with readily available, reliable, and affordable energy. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: SolarTurtle

Published: 05 July 2016
SolarTurtle converts shipping containers into mobile solar power stations and solar kiosks called “Turtles”. The company empowers women entrepreneurs to operate these secure fold-away power stations in order to sell clean and affordable energy to off-grid schools, clinics and individual community members. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: SPOUTS of Water

Published: 05 July 2016
To improve access to safe drinking water, SPOUTS manufactures and supplies an affordable ceramic water filter, called the Purifaaya, which is made with local resources and materials easily found in Uganda. SPOUTS is the sole manufacturer of water filtration products in Uganda. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Sustainable Options

Published: 05 July 2016
SRGDI facilitates the wide distribution of solar lighting technology to the rural population of Malawi. By providing training and promoting self-financing schemes of local youth associations, the enterprise acts as a facilitator between suppliers and customers and promotes entrepreneurship in rural Malawi. Read more
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SEED Winners expanding access to electricity in Uganda

Published: 28 June 2016
Green Heat Ltd, a 2014 SEED Low Carbon Award Winner, and GRS Commodities Ltd, a 2013 SEED Africa Award Winner, were both winning recipients in the recent Off-Grid Energy Challenge hosted by the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) in Uganda in February. These two enterprises improve access to electricity in off-grid areas of Uganda with renewable energies as the solution. Read more
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A perspective from India

Published: 10 May 2016Authors: Allison Robertshaw
This past month, it was India’s turn, as SEED hosted an event around investment in the low-carbon, green SME sector.  Whilst it’s fair to say that every region and country has its own challenges, it remains surprising how similar the discussion is and how clearly certain interventions are necessary in order to make the green SME space both more resilient and scalable. Read more
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SEED shares experience at the 2016 Tech4Dev Conference

Published: 05 May 2016
SEED is invited to participate in the panel discussion “Social Innovations for Energy Access: Organizing Sustainable Energy for All" at this year's International Tech4Dev Conference in Lausanne. Read more
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Women-to-women energy networks: essential piece of the puzzle for SE4All

Published: 04 May 2016Authors: Amélie Heuër
Over the last three days, I’ve had the pleasure of attending the 2016 International Tech4Dev Conference, which focussed on innovation to achieve social impact. Read more
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