Meet These Social Entrepreneurs On Stage at SOCAP23
By incorporating technology and networks that help advance sustainable energy and climate action, social entrepreneurs are creating positive impact for people and communities around the world. In the SOCAP23 Entrepreneur Program, sustainable energy and climate action innovations create impact in numerous ways — from helping to rebuild ecosystems with drone technology to powering zero-emission electric motorcycles to improving rural distribution of sustainable goods.
With their business models and innovative solutions for sustainable energy and climate action, the SOCAP23 Entrepreneur Program cohort members in this article are tackling social and environmental challenges around the globe. In the months leading up to SOCAP23, these innovators participate in six months of virtual programming, learn from one another, and get access to investor connections. The entrepreneurs selected this year (meet them in our lookbook!) will share their solutions to pressing social, cultural, and environmental issues at SOCAP23, when they will pitch their ideas on the main stage.
Below we share more about five entrepreneurs making a difference in sustainable energy and climate action. Register for SOCAP23 to hear more from them and others in the Entrepreneur Program bringing the most innovative solutions around the globe to scale.
Kristin Strong, Zed Motors
Africa
With a mission to lead Africa’s transition to clean mobility, Zed Motors locally designs and assembles robust electric motorcycles. Zed Motors (short for Zero Emission Designs) has created a solar-charging infrastructure to power electric motorcycles and offers a smart battery-as-a-service. Zed operates 10KWc solar-charging stations and fast-charging outlets to power electric motorcycles. A battery maintenance, repair, and recycling facility has been integrated to enhance the project’s environmental impact.
If you had to sum up the impact you create in the world in a one-sentence tagline, what would it be?
Designing and building smart mobile power for green transportation and off-grid living.
What is your call to action for the SOCAP community?
Make sustainable energy free and available to all.
What, specifically, are you looking for in terms of funding?
We are looking for a $1.5 million split between equity and loans (and grants if available) to dispatch 500 electric motorcycles (eMotos) in Benin, Africa.
Rocio Perez Ochoa, Bidhaa Sasa
Africa
Bidhaa Sasa strives to improve the quality of life of families in rural Kenya and Uganda by making life-improving goods more accessible and affordable. The company is building a social network of rural women in East Africa to distribute products. Bidhaa Sasa buys goods from suppliers locally or internationally and stocks them at its fulfillment centers for delivery to clients’ homes. Bidhaa Sasa offers un-collateralized credit to all clients and uses group liability to manage credit risk.
If you had to sum up the impact you create in the world in a one-sentence tagline, what would it be?
Making impactful products accessible and affordable to rural women in East Africa.
What is your call to action for the SOCAP community?
Improving the quality of life of rural women in East Africa through empowerment.
What, specifically, are you looking for in terms of funding?
We are looking for $2 million in equity to expand our business in Kenya and Uganda, add more impactful products to our catalog, and launch carbon programs for impact.
Tusiime Kenneth, Protectyl
Africa
Protectyl is a climate-tech startup using computer vision and IoT to decentralize, digitalize, and scale sustainability. The company partners with land owners and smallholder farmers to grow smart commercial micro-forests. These provide sustainable timber to create carbon credits and address Africa’s wood deficit.
If you had to sum up the impact you create in the world in a one-sentence tagline, what would it be?
Solving Africa’s $30 billion wood deficit by growing decentralized micro-forests providing sustainable timber to wood-dependent industries in Africa at an 85% cost disruption.
What is your call to action for the SOCAP community?
Champion the global climate path to net zero by catalyzing the flow of resources to the most affected communities — more action, less talk!
What, specifically, are you looking for in terms of funding?
We are looking for $157,000 to expand our operations across Uganda and $1 million in debt or equity to help us build an AI platform to automate the forest growth-tracking process and track forest health.
Lauren Fletcher, Flying Forests International
Latin America and the Caribbean
Flying Forests was created to develop ecosystem restoration drone technology and a global distribution network that equips and empowers local communities to become long-term environmental stewards. This local focus helps ensure an inclusive solution with fair revenue sharing throughout the value chain. A local team is able to plant up to 100,000 seed balls per day. A country business unit is designed to plant up to 40 million per year. Just 25 countries will be able to scale to 1 billion planted each year.
If you had to sum up the impact you create in the world in a one-sentence tagline, what would it be?
Equipping and empowering local communities to rebuild ecosystems with drones, technology, and innovation.
What is your call to action for the SOCAP community?
Decentralize business models with local ownership, inclusion, and fair revenue sharing.
What, specifically, are you looking for in terms of funding?
We are looking for $850,000 in blended finance to expand our operations from the U.S. to Africa, starting in Kenya and Peru. Ideally, we are looking to connect with large foundations and impact investors that seek to support investment readiness of a project and would be open to investing in the future for profit from carbon credits.
Nigel Sharp, Aquagga, Inc.
North America
Aquagga is a clean technology startup and environmental remediation service company. It has a mission to improve health equity and environmental justice by remediating toxic PFAS — forever chemicals that have been linked to health issues — from the environment and water supplies. Aquagga operates primarily as a service provider, deploying unique equipment to help remediation projects done by larger project teams.
If you had to sum up the impact you create in the world in a one-sentence tagline, what would it be?
Improving water quality globally with award-winning hardware for safe and clean destruction of PFAS.
What is your call to action for the SOCAP community?
Put an end to PFAS!
What, specifically, are you looking for in terms of funding?
We are looking for venture investors to support a second-seed/Series A growth round for Aquagga, likely more than $5 million in early 2024.
