Chitolastic is a circular biotechnology and advanced materials startup transforming shellfish waste and mycelium-based biomass into high-purity, tunable chitosan and chitosan-based biomaterials. We develop application-specific raw materials for cosmetics, personal care, medical, hygiene, packaging and industrial applications, combining biological production, material customization and circular waste valorization.

Osquareteck Ltd is dedicated to accelerating the adoption of electric mobility. They specialize in building affordable, convenient, safe, and connected electric vehicles and supporting infrastructure. Their electric powertrains offer superior performance, providing more power and torque for faster acceleration. Additionally, they have developed swapping stations that allow drivers to replenish their range in under 2 minutes, eliminating the inconvenience of charging. Osquareteck Ltd also offers partnership opportunities for electric vehicle development, providing powertrains that are not only cost-effective but also faster and more powerful than traditional internal combustion engine powertrains. Their solutions are particularly beneficial for fleet operators, as they come with tracking, safety, and security features as standard.

Abuti Spinach is a digital platform designed to support small-scale farmers across Africa by improving productivity, reducing input costs, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The platform provides farmers with accessible, data-informed guidance on crop management, planting strategies, and resource optimisation, enabling them to make better decisions in real time.
Our solution focuses on increasing efficiency in water usage, land utilisation, and crop planning critical challenges for farmers operating under climate variability and limited resources. By simplifying complex agricultural insights into easy-to-use tools, Abuti Spinach bridges the gap between technology and traditional farming practices.
Currently piloted with a growing network of farmers, the platform has demonstrated the ability to improve yields while reducing reliance on expensive inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. Abuti Spinach also fosters a community-driven ecosystem where farmers can learn, share insights, and access new market opportunities.
As we scale, our vision is to build Africa’s largest agricultural intelligence ecosystem for smallholder farmers, contributing to climate resilience, food security, and inclusive economic growth across the continent.

ERGOLD: Environmentally Recovery of GOLD is a cleantech R&D company pioneering a patented, eco-friendly process for gold and mercury recovery from mining waste. The company addresses the environmental and health hazards associated with traditional amalgamation and cyanidation methods widely used in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. ERGOLD’s innovation uses non-toxic amino acids to efficiently separate and recover metals, eliminating the need for harmful chemicals like mercury and cyanide. This process not only enhances metal recovery yields but also significantly reduces environmental impact and operational costs. ERGOLD also specializes in tailored facility design, economic feasibility studies, and site-specific process engineering, offering scalable solutions aligned with the Minamata Convention and global sustainability goals.

Advocates for Green Environment is a startup company focused on the development of sustainable building materials derived from waste streams. The company operates within the construction and built environment sector, with an emphasis on resource recovery and material innovation. Its activities center on transforming waste into functional construction products, contributing to circular economy principles by reducing landfill disposal and supporting more sustainable material supply chains. Through research, product development, and applied innovation, Advocates for Green Environment works to integrate eco-conscious practices into conventional construction processes. The company’s work supports environmentally responsible development and the creation of more sustainable communities by promoting the use of alternative materials with reduced environmental impact.

Vonnie Projects (Pty) Ltd is a women founded cleantech enterprise transforming agricultural and livestock waste into high value, climate positive products. Rooted in rural Limpopo and driven by lived experience, the company develops patented technologies that convert abundant, underutilised biomass, such as peanut byproducts and invasive sickle bush pods into sustainable animal feed and clean energy alternatives.
Their flagship innovation, Tokosickle™ Feed, is a scientifically validated, nutrient dense livestock feed produced through a proprietary waste upcycling process. It replaces expensive commercial feed with a circular, locally sourced alternative that reduces methane-linked emissions, strengthens climate resilience for smallholder farmers, and stabilises food production in drought-prone regions. Supported by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and Global Cleantech Innovation Program South Africa, Tokosickle™ in few months to come, will be pilot deployment with farmers across Limpopo, generating measurable improvements in herd health, feed affordability, and rural economic participation.
Complementing this is DungBrix™, a clean-burning biofuel briquette that substitutes firewood and coal with a renewable, low-emission energy source. By converting livestock waste into energy, DungBrix™ reduces deforestation, indoor air pollution, and household energy costs, while creating new income streams for rural women and youth.
Vonnie Projects (Pty) Ltd innovations directly advance South Africa’s Just Energy Transition by decentralising manufacturing, empowering rural communities, and proving that climate solutions can emerge from grassroots ingenuity. With international patent support through the CIPC Inventor Assistance Programme and growing global interest, Vonnie Projects is preparing to scale into regional and international markets.
"We are not only building products, we are building a circular rural economy where waste becomes opportunity, women lead industrial change, and African innovation contributes meaningfully to global climate action."

Gemasan Robotics is a robotics company developing autonomous underwater systems for marine maintenance, inspection and monitoring applications. The company’s work focuses on improving the efficiency, safety and sustainability of operations in maritime and underwater infrastructure environments. Gemasan Robotics’ technology is a modular autonomous underwater robot designed to clean biofouling and pollution from the submerged surfaces of ships, reducing hydrodynamic resistance and associated fuel consumption. The system enables in-water hull maintenance without the need for dry-docking and can be operated wirelessly or via cable, depending on operational requirements. It integrates AI-based image processing and thickness measurement software to support real-time diagnostics, hull mapping and condition assessment. Beyond maritime vessel maintenance, the robot is applicable to the inspection and cleaning of underwater infrastructure such as dams, hydroelectric power plants, ports and research installations. Its modular architecture allows configuration for additional use cases, including leak detection, sediment analysis and underwater habitat mapping. The company also provides simulation tools to support operator training and deployment planning, and is developing in-house production capabilities for key components to enhance system reliability and adaptability.

Founded in 2010 in Lesotho, Mos-Sun Clean Energy Technology (MOSCET) specializes in renewable energy technologies, aiming to advance sustainable solutions and provide electricity access in underserved areas in Lesotho and in the broader region of Southern Africa. Their expertise spans designing, installing, commissioning, and maintaining solar and electrical systems for a diverse range of clients, including residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Focusing on innovative energy solutions and high-voltage industrial system maintenance, MOSCET has a track record of activities, including successful collaborations with Electro Techno Services (ETS) in various renewable energy projects. MOSCET's goal is to offer clean, efficient, and reliable energy solutions that empower thousands of households, communities, institutions, small and large businesses.

PowerDrive is a veteran-founded e-mobility company offering a complete sustainable urban-mobility ecosystem built around electric scooters for couriers and delivery services. It provides rental, in-house repair, and its own electric scooters and lithium battery packs, delivering faster operations, lower running costs, zero emissions, and longer battery life than imported alternatives. Its differentiators are local design, assembly, and servicing in Ukraine, in-house repair, and proprietary battery technology, ensuring quality, durability, and fast maintenance. As a veteran-owned business, PowerDrive also creates jobs for veterans through a growing network of veteran-run workshops that support their social reintegration. Revenue comes from B2B scooter-rental subscriptions, maintenance and battery-service contracts, and vehicle and battery sales. Each scooter avoids roughly 500 kg of CO2 per year, and more than 85% of battery materials are recyclable. With over 120 active vehicles across Lutsk, Rivne, and Lviv, years of technical experience, and a partnership with Glovo, PowerDrive is expanding to more cities.

Leak Alert is an AI-powered platform designed to close the loop on non-revenue water (NRW) in South Africa. Their innovation addresses the R33 billion water crisis by integrating citizen engagement with advanced data analytics to detect and verify leaks in real-time.
The platform operates through a dual-track ecosystem:

1. AI-Verified Crowdsourcing: Citizens report leaks via a live camera feed on our mobile platform, which uses computer vision models to instantly validate reports and filter out false positives.
2. Municipal Command Center: Verified alerts and precise GPS coordinates are routed to a live dashboard, allowing municipalities and maintenance teams to trigger rapid repairs and reduce response times.
   By converting sensor and crowdsourced data into actionable insights, Leak Alert targets a 5:1 ROI on leak detection, aiming to conserve millions of liters of freshwater and significantly reduce the carbon footprint associated with water loss.