Three Ghanaian businesses will represent Ghana at the ClimateLaunchpad Africa Regional semi-finals on October 8, 2024. These businesses – Modcoal, Delimush Company Limited and Velho Carbons – emerged victorious at the ClimateLaunchpad Ghana National Finals held on September 11, 2024.
The finals featured four entrepreneurs: Aisha Abdallah, team lead at Delimush; Matthew Nanpuan, CEO and co-founder of Modcoal; Dr Erastus Mak-Mensah, CEO of Velho Carbons; and Kweku Aubynn, team lead at GreenPath Solutions. These entrepreneurs emerged as finalists after almost six weeks of intensive training, mentoring and competing with other entrepreneurs in the cleantech space. The event was sponsored by Mirepa Investment Advisors and Blue Skies.
ClimateLaunchpad is the world’s largest competition for green business ideas which aim to unlock the world’s cleantech potential and accelerate innovations that address climate change. The competition is spearheaded by EIT Climate-KIC, Europe’s leading climate innovation agency. It is run in Ghana by The Little Cow Consulting Limited, a marketing and strategy consulting company.
Modcoal emerged in 1st place at the Ghana National Finals with its sustainable smokeless biofuel briquettes, an alternative to charcoal and wood for cooking. Modcoal’s product addresses deforestation and indoor air-pollution, issues many developing countries face.
Velho Carbons, which placed 2nd, uses activated carbon and biochar pellets for soil treatment that aims to revolutionise agricultural practices across the continent by enhancing soil health and ensuring the restoration of contaminated land and water bodies.
Delimush Company Limited placed third and is Ghana’s third representative in the Africa Regional Finals. Delimush is reducing food waste by processing mushrooms and vegetables into nutritious, plant-based, ready-to-eat meals – consequently speaking to global food security concerns.
Judges for the event were Joel Kwame Ofosu, Chief Technology Officer at Solv Ghana; Rev. Justice Sagoe, Head of MSME Lending at Letshego Ghana Savings and Loans Plc; Samuel Yeboah CEO of Mirepa Investment Advisors; and Albert Nii Ayi Tagoe, Head of Finance and Investment at the Ghana Commodity Exchange.
To ensure that Ghana’s representatives are well-equipped to take the continental stage, Albert Nii Ayi Tagoe donated copies of his book titled ‘“How to Raise Capital for Your Start-up Business’. These startups will also receive support from The Little Cow Consulting Limited and Mirepa Investment Advisors on business strategy development and marketing.
