The names Nzambi Matee, Tracy Kimathi, Mtamu Kililo and Linus Wahome might not ring a bell among many Kenyans, but the innovators have caught the attention of a global organisation that deals in the provision of housing to low-income people.
Nzambi is the founder of Gjenge Makers Limited, a firm that converts plastic waste into affordable building products while Tracy is the brains behind Tree Sea.mals, a company that deals with off-grid solar energy and solar-powered cooling systems.
Linus runs ManPro Systems Limited, a technology company that helps people involved in construction access handy information on various matters relating to construction project management, which can help reduce the budget of constructions.
Mtamu, on the other hand, co-founded Mycotile, a firm that creates construction materials like ceiling boards using agricultural waste and mushroom mycelium. He says the products made through the technology char rather than burn, which means they can prevent a building from catching fire in case they are the first to be exposed to flames.
The four are among Kenyan innovators who have received training and funding from Habitat for Humanity, a US-based non-profit organisation that is involved in funding, advocacy, disaster response, among others, as it pushes to have low-income people across the world get decent houses.
Habitat for Humanity supported the Kenyans through its Terwilliger Centre for Innovation in Shelter. Terwilliger also collaborated with Pangea Accelerator, a Norway-based platform that matches African start-ups with investors.
Pangea Accelerator’s country director for Kenya, Ms Anne Lawi, told the Sunday Nation that the scheme through which the Kenyan innovators were sourced and trained, dubbed the ShelterTech Accelerator Programme, was one of a kind in Africa.
“There has never been an accelerator programme supporting innovation in housing. So, this was the first one in Africa, scouting innovative innovations in housing and shelter,” she said. “We got 30 businesses that we took through a programme and out of those, we got 12 businesses. Out of those 12, seven got investment.”
The start-ups by Nzambi, Tracy, Linus and Mtamu are among the seven.
The ShelterTech programme began about two years ago, Ms Lawi said, and last week the beneficiaries were incorporated into a group called the ShelterTech Africa Alumni Network in an event held virtually.
“This alumni network seeks to extend support and link opportunities to entrepreneurs and innovators with the aim of facilitating housing markets to better meet the needs for affordable housing in Africa,” said a statement from the organisers.
“We just want to go to another level of support that will just keep pushing these businesses forward,” she said.
