Kenya - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Nasi is a sustainable, biodegradable alternative for paper products made from pineapple waste. Our products include Notebooks, Diaries & A4 photocopy paper. We collect the pineapple waste from local markets, vendors & farms to help with waste management

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Hello, my name is Jane Joan Waithera, i am the Founder of Nasi. Nasi is a sustainable alternative for paper and paper products made from pineapple waste. This idea started with my curiosity for paper and it led to the discovery of an industry that is very destructive to the Environment. According to google, 200 million trees are cut down everyday for paper production and the demand for paper is estimated to grow by 2030. I wondered why trees were the preferred source of paper and decided to look for alternative plants that share some similarities with trees and landed on pineapple leaves. Pineapple leaves have short compact fibers that make strong and durable paper. In 2023 i got incubated under KCIC's Greenbiz program and through the program I have managed to get a patent, product refinement and development at the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI). I am presently working on machine fabrication as well as applying for KEBS standardisation.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Large scale Paper production in paper mills consumes millions of trees leading to deforestation and desertification. Trees also hold a lot of carbon and the carbon released by processing the trees for paper is double the emissions produced by burning fossil fuels (crazy right?). This production process also emits Green house gases such as Carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and Nitrogen dioxide. In addition, pineapple farmers, after harvesting their produce, they prune their plants or remove the whole plant. This waste is either burnt or left to rot leading to more carbon emissions. At Nasi we collect the waste left in the markets to decay releasing methane gas and the waste from the farm that would have been burnt and left to rot to make our products. We not only help manage deforestation but we also help with the reduction of all the harmful invisible green house gases that are emitted into the atmosphere.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

At Nasi we use waste as our raw material, we do not use our natural resource ie; trees in our production process At Nasi we help with waste management of organic waste that would otherwise produce carbon or methane gas if left unattended to. With the growing demand for paper, we give the world a sustainable solution, an option that saves our trees and guarantees a sustainable future for generations to come.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Our main target market is the corporate world. Almost every office uses stacks of reams of photocopy paper and notebooks for documentation and storage of information. But once the paper is used and no longer useful its either shredded, thrown or burnt. Trees take 10-30 years to mature and they are reduced to nothing. We need to value and treasure this resource because trees don't need us. We need them.

01.05 When was your company established?

2022-03-22

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

No

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

0

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

0

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

I am a solo founder.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://nasi.co.ke/

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

Other: Sustainability

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

4

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

2

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

4

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

4

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

Being a young woman in the world has very many challenges. My grandfather once told me that young girls and women have a lot of enemies and that the world is out to get us and that we ought to be careful. I hope to inspire girls and young women who are falling prey to social media to go after their BIG dreams. I want to prove to them that having discipline, determination and dedication that their dreams are valid and can come true irrespective of anything!

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

4

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

3

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

I desire to create job opportunities with a bias for single mothers and young women over 18. The reason is because i want to give them the opportunities that the world does not. In my home town there are very many young women and single moms turning to prostitution to earn a living because they either got pregnant and dropped out of school or were abandoned by their baby's father. Giving them decent jobs will help sustain their lives and help them raise their young ones.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

Human beings have been the root cause of global warming and all the changes in our world through over exploitation of our natural resources. For a sustainable future the world needs to accept and support innovative solutions to existing problems. Nasi is new, different and challenges the status quo. But Nasi gives us hope for the future.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

5

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

Most opportunities are given to men, even when it comes to school drop outs. The chances of men getting jobs are higher than those of women. My goal is to employ more women than men.

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

4

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

4

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

Deforestation is leading to desertification and global warming. 40% of the world's forests have been depleted through deforestation for paper production. For every 1kg of paper produced in a paper mill, 3.3kgs of carbon dioxide is produced into the environment and this has consequently accelerated climate change Nasi guarantees that this natural resource is left untouched by creating an alternative made from organic waste.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

2

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

2

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

4

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

6

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

4

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

5

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.08 Justification for my startup

Imagine a world without paper.... Paper is the most used resource in the corporate and business world because almost all offices require paper for printing. Even the business world uses paper to print receipts, legal documents and other company documents. Heck, even money is printed on paper. Nasi is a new and improved version of the paper we all use and need.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Our competitors are paper manufacturers like Chandaria industries who have been in the industry since independence. These big

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?