May 22, 2017 – In a brief ceremony at Ashesi University College, the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre admitted 11 entrepreneurs into the business incubator.
The 11 who make up the first cohort of inductees for the GCIC were selected from a pool of 72 applicants from across Ghana, who responded to the GCIC’s call for Expression of Interest in 2016. (Learn more about the 11 companies here)
“Our work is focused on helping to grow and nurture a particular type of business leader: business leaders that want to go long haul with their businesses, because there is a positive social impact on Ghana with the work you’re doing,” said Ruka Sanusi, CEO of the GCIC. “The innovative center is not just about incubating businesses, it’s about Ghana’s tomorrow, it’s about the green economy. Entrepreneurship can be a very short term and transactional endeavor, but the center’s work is focused on how to bring in the transformational aspect of running, operating and growing a business into the climate change space, and we’ll also do this by providing the right enabling environment for our entrepreneurs.”
Launched in 2015, the climate center aims at providing support to over 100 entrepreneurs from across Ghana who are developing profitable and locally-appropriate solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The center primarily will provide provision of office space and facilities, business skills training and mentoring, proof of concept grants, funding facilitation, market growth and market access support services, technical assistance with technology and product development, and policy advocacy and regulatory support services.
“Being a part of the GCIC is a boost for our business,” said Sakeena Twumasi of Atlas Business and Energy Systems, assemblers of solar panels sources from local components. “It’s really not a matter of just funding, but also the level of support they’ll provide to us, from technical, marketing, to business management. I am hopeful our company will become a more impactful player in the climate protection industry.”
Supported by the governments of Denmark and the Netherlands, the GCIC will be managed by a consortium led by Ashesi University College with Ernst & Young, SNV Netherlands Development Organization, and the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa.
“What the world bank really is trying to do, is start a conversation around climate change, mobilize capital for businesses in these areas, to support entrepreneurs in these areas, and also continue the road to curbing the destructive practices that have led us to the world this day,” said Charlotte Ntim of the World Bank Group. “The hope is that we’re going to be creating jobs, creating resilient companies, that can compete at the global level.”
Alchemy Alternative Energy (AAE)
AAE is a waste management company that converts waste plastics and tires through internationally approved and environmentally sound processes into hydrocarbon products by incentivizing local Ghanaian citizens through their waste purchasing program.
Atlas Business and Energy Systems (ABES)
Atlas Business and Energy Systems Ltd is a leading solution provider for renewable energy. ABES started its operation in 2008 and was established in 2010. The company is the first in Ghana to use local components to assemble Solar panels and charge controllers. By using local capacity and ingenuity, ABES can specifically design, assembly and install solar energy systems according to the needs of the clients. Our local presence and knowledge in assembly allows us to train and maintain the solar energy packages for our clients.
Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative
Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative is a forerunning social enterprise in bamboo industrialization for the creation of jobs and employment for the growing number of Ghanaian women and youth. We are a pacesetter in the production of made-in-Ghana second generation super-crafted bamboo bikes for foreign and local consumption. We strongly advocate for environmental conservation and low-carbon impact through eco-friendly best approaches.
DAS Biogas Construction and Water Harvesting Engineering Limited
DAS Biogas Construction Ltd is an organization that offers a complete form of domestic and institutional waste management services as well as manufacturing of plastic roofing tiles and pavement for the construction industries. The Company has interest in contributing to sustainable development through innovation in the waste management and construction industry. The Vision of the Company is to be an innovative and complete waste management service provider.
Gamma Energie
We are focused on renewable energy (biomass), which envisions to undertake the production of premium charcoal briquettes, primarily for Cooking/heating purposes. Our briquetting technology basically recycles charcoal waste, what we call "Unusable Charcoal Particles" (UCPs) - into reusable charcoal briquettes for the primary purpose of heating/cooking.
Global Bamboo Products Limited (GBPL)
GBPL is a hybrid social enterprise in the development of Bamboo and other non-timber forest products (NTFP) providing a substitute for traditional timber products. GBPL'S main focus of business is the cultivation of bamboo and processing of bamboo into products such as bamboo charcoal and briquettes, Construction for housing and furnishing, and crafts. The other arm of the enterprise involves skills training, agro forestry and other sustainable alternative livelihood activities bamboo and other non-timber forest products in Ghana.
Kwamoka Farms and Processing Limited (KFPL)
Kwamoka Farms and Processing Limited (KFPL), a subsidiary of Kwamoka Group Ghana (KGG), is a limited liability company registered under the Company's code, 1963 (Act 179) in Accra. It's a free Zone enterprise established to undertake general farming, tree plantation, afforestation and reforestation for environmental KWAMO<A improvement. Currently, the company is developing 1200 acres of bamboo FARMS AND PROCESSING LIMITED orchard intercropped with Cowpea/corn KEGL has also 200 acre degraded forest from Forestry Commission for the purpose of cultivating bamboo.
Biogas Technologies Africa Limited Waste-to-Energy
Our technology transforms biodegradable waste materials, such as Sewage, Cattle and poultry droppings, agro waste, and meat & fish processing waste among others into energy. And in the process, creates green jobs and helps to combat climate change.
Translight Solar Limited
We provide a modular, monitored, state-of-the-art inverter with in-built payment systems to allow for the monthly payment of installations over 5–10 years. (i.e. the inverter will only operate when monthly payment are made). It can be deployed rapidly and it becomes the primary source of Solar energy for the location of installation.
Comeph and Associates
Comeph and Associates was formed over 5 years ago to fill the gap between proper rigorous research and solutions around environmental issues. It employs technology which converts various polymers (plastic, vehicular tires etc.) to fuel of our choice. One of such fuels developed and Comeph tested is an enhancer with Octane number of 99.
Rasaboat Ghana Limited
Rasaboat Ghana Limited envisions a future where everyone in the off-grid communities would be empowered through the use of Solar Home System to offset the use of kerosene lamps for a cleaner, affordable and reliable energy source. The Solar Home System (SHS) has a prepaid meter embedded in it to function as a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) system where the beneficiary of the system pays about one twentieth of the total cost of the system and immediately has access to the SHS.
