Huge success for Nadji.Bi, EDF Pulse Africa's Senegalese finalist
Publish on 13/09/2019
Honour the Senegalese dynamism through EDF Pulse Africa Tour in Dakar. Here was the aim defined by EDF and ERA, its local subsidiary, for the second stop of the African roadshow. To do so, noted names belonging with the Senegalese entrepreneurship ecosystem were invited on Thursday, 12th of September at the IFAN museum. During the whole afternoon, they have been debating on the local energetic panorama’s issues and stakes.
Manar Sall (Powex Energy CEO), Fary Ndao (Power & Stone co-founder), Olivia Ndaye (Magik Energy Lab Program Manager), Thierno Sakho (DER Project Officer)… So many young entrepreneurs took part to the ceremony. They conveyed their vision and shared their ambition about the energy field while depicting the local economic landscape. Gathered around round-tables, these leading figures discussed about “The technologic innovation’s play in the development of electricity access” but also about the impact of the entrepreneurship vitality on the Senegalese society.
To keep on in this mainstream and to give a more structured context of the entrepreneurship sector in Senegal, Eva Sow Ebion introduced the public with some of the government current legislative texts. Actually, as she took part in the “SenStartup Act” drafting, she was able to give a clear vision of the situation. As a business developer and innovating solutions’ specialist , she insisted on the fact that the Senegalese ecosystem is “a young one, a dynamic one, that keep growing” and that it does have access to “positive infrastructures and many opportunities in term of open innovation”.
What a nice prelude for the five EDF Pulse Africa’s candidates! Actually, they took advantage of the afternoon mindset to defend tooth and nails their project in front of the jury members. After a long deliberation session, these specialists eventually came to a decision and Nadji.Bi climbed on the highest step of the podium. Its project? Smart solar water pump systems the Senegalese farmers can buy using PAYGO system. The whole product has been designed so that the farmers can use it easily while optimizing water consumption. The final aim is to make African agriculture “smart-grid” in order to strengthen their food self-sufficiency.
As EDF Pulse Africa intends to find and support African entrepreneurs with innovating projects, Magik Energy Lab awarded Lumos Project with a “Coup de pouce” Prize. This start-up offers digital solutions to optimize electric consumption while saving energy. Apps, captors, detectors, algorithms… So many digital solutions to help them both improving their agricultural tools management and their water consumption.
In order to support a local project, La Société Générale gave the Dairy Transformation Cooperative of Médina-Mary the “Coup de Coeur” Award. This company endeavours to take advantage of the abundance of solar energy to supply the electrical systems of the dairy with solar panels. This local energy source will allow them to make the dairy power reliable, to increase the systems performance, but also to supply the village dispensary with the additional energy.
The EDF Pulse Africa Tour not only expressed the Senegalese energy industry and local entrepreneurship dynamism, but also allowed the emergence of three innovating projects aware of the local needs and issues. Nadji.Bi remains in the heart of the challenge and will come to Paris on the 21st of November to try to win the first Prize and concretize its project.