Emmastella and Percy founded Savanna Circuit Tech in 2017, after conference at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. They created a solar chilling in-transit system to greatly help dairy companies in Africa reduce post-harvest losses. Savanna Circuit manufactures and distributes last-mile, non-refrigerant, solar-run milk chillers which can be positioned on any method of transport – from motorbikes to trucks. Their AI-enabled ICT option enables milk aggregation, traceability, and quality manage to avoid milk spoilage and maximizes revenue for dairy producers. We sat down using them for more information about their story lately, motivation, and innovative idea:

What problem can be your technology solution attempting to solve?

Emmastella: We are attempting to solve the task of post-harvest losses across worth chains. Our niche is dairy, because dairy has already been left behind with regards to technology access. Therefore, we wanted to look for a alternative that comprehensively solves farmers’ problems, smallholder farmers especially.

In Kenya, 70 percent of dairy producers are smallholder dairy farmers, and something million people focus on these family-run farms. These smallholder farmers create 5.each year – 30 percent of which goes to waste 3 billion liters of milk. The milk would go to waste materials because it requires a lot of time and energy to obtain it from the idea of production to business chains that help with advertising and promoting it. The transportation may take around five hours using pet transport, bicycles, or individuals walking from their houses.

When transportation requires this long, we’ve microbial growth within the milk, that leads to rejection of the milk at dairy cooperatives, which affects profits and revenues. The challenge is creating a tech solution that’s sustainable whenever using smallholder farmers.

Can you explain the way the solution works?

Emmastella: We have the hardware and software program solution. For the equipment solution, we’ve mobile solar-driven milk chillers which can be installed on basically any method of transport, like on a motorbike or perhaps a truck. The devices can be found in various sizes and so are portable, to improve accessibility for a lot more farmers. In areas where there isn’t a complete large amount of milk volume, we wanted to keep these things onboarded in to the system also. So, this is why we possess an average capability of 100 liters to a 1,000 liters.

We are completely powered by solar powered energy. We mount solar power panels along with the method of transportation. We have temp sensors that regulate the milk, so that it doesn’t overchill or overheat. There exists a hold time of to 36 hours to keep the milk’s temperature up.

The software is really a web and mobile-based application which has a geo-location aspect, where we are able to map each dairy farmer. Information is collected and documented onto the operational program, such as the quantity and pH known degree of the milk, and the farmer can have the same information through SMS on the mobile phones. We are able to see what goes on in real-period, eliminate any facet of human error, and the entire transparency creates rely on between cooperatives and makers.

What inspired one to develop this solution?

Percy: I was raised around dairy farmers along with other types of farming. I noticed what these farmers proceed through, from dusk to dawn operating, only for their generate to spoil, or, in some full cases, not obtaining the full value of these product. I fulfilled Emmastella at university, and we had been discussing how many of these dairy communities work tough, but see little revenue. We wished to use the understanding we’ve academically, and our connections in the provide chain, to help make the global world an improved place. That is how exactly we developed Savanna Circuit Tech.

How will successful a prize within the Cisco Global Issue Solver Challenge assist you to advance your organization?

Percy: For one, this is a validation. Cisco is really a big company, and successful the Grand Prize indicates we have been headed in the proper direction. It will create a huge difference because with the existing situation of the worldwide pandemic and at our phase of growth, a whole lot is necessary by us of expense.

Do guess what happens you shall utilize the prize money for particularly?

Emmastella: This can majorly assist in strengthening the company. We shall have the ability to acquire new talent, finalize our manufacturing procedure, by having all of the equipment and tools set up, and all of the machinery installed in to the new manufacturing unit. We’ve experienced talks with a significant processor who would like to have solar powered energy refrigerated trucks with a more impressive capacity that will generate more business.

How has the worldwide pandemic impacted your projects?

Emmastella: There’s been a significant change, since dairy cooperatives market their milk primarily, not merely to processors, but right to institutions also, like high hotels and schools. That brought us to take into account how we may use chillers to facilitate the motion of milk to households straight. That brought us a chance for the continuing company, and we have been further hoping to build up that. There’s been a change in logistics as the majority of transportation has already been locked down. So, which has resulted in more demand for the equipment.

Why did you choose to start your personal social enterprise versus likely to work for an organization?

Percy: Career-wise, you would like to grow always, also it feels good once you create modification. Like today, with this particular product, for the 6,800 farmers we’ve worked with, it really is amazing to notice them transform from the subsistence sort of farming to market-structured. They realize they are able to perform this and make money, in fact it is not about survival just. That is why we’d a very different method of growing the product. We created it with the farmers – and our initial technical group integrated 15 farmers who have been also the focus team for feedback. These were needed by us to sense they’re part of something, a thing that is theirs.

What is the greatest little bit of advice you acquired about starting your sociable enterprise?

Percy: I’d say, for technical businesses especially, do not center the aim of your business close to your academic capabilities or information. It isn’t a measure of just how much you can do, with regards to the product; it’s you skill to address a genuine problem.

Emmastella: For anyone owning a social enterprise, in the event that you solve a nagging issue, you will see demand for the merchandise always. You don’t work and immediately be prepared to make money. Instead, you devote the ongoing work when you listen to your visitors and users of one’s products. And when profits later on do come, that is validation of one’s hard work just.

Do any advice will be experienced by you for following year’s applicants?

Emmastella: To begin with, the Cisco Global Issue Solver Challenge is really a huge chance of any continuing business. Not really for the prize cash section of it just, but for the systems and the business enterprise development support also. Therefore, everyone should devote the ongoing work, in terms of creating a comprehensive application. I’d advise you to perform the application together with your team together.

What can be your favorite book and just why?

Emmastella: My all-time favorite reserve is Shoe Dog: The Memoir by the Creator of Nike, by Phil Knight. It really is my favorite guide since it is very genuine for any entrepreneur who would like to venture into getting a fresh product to life. It had been found by me really resourceful as it displays you how to create an effective business empire.

What can be your favorite activity if you are not working?

Percy: Movies, sciFi specifically, because that’s my way to obtain inspiration. Among my favorites is Superstar Trek.

Emmastella: I am a patio person, so I execute a complete large amount of hiking, and we take action together as a group sometimes. We prefer to ride motorbikes inside new areas also. And of training course, I really like hanging out with girls [to] listen to what they would like to perform and mentor them.

Keep tuned in for more articles inside our blog series, featuring interviews with every Cisco Global Issue Solver Problem 2020 winning team!