Ghana - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Providing efficient technologies that enables fish farmers to produce more local fish to feed the growing demand for fish while helping them make more money.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

AquaMet is a technology startup company in Ghana, that is providing cost effective and efficient production and marketing tools for fish farmers in Ghana to optimize their operations, improve yield and ensure food security. Our solution comes with a smart water quality device for remote water quality monitoring and management, which prevents uncertainties caused by poor water quality and enhances reduction of mortalities. We also deploy the first integrated mobile app, that enables farmers to keep their records, find extension services, manage their feed and find market for their produce after production.

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

With the increasing demand of fish in Ghana and most African countries, relying on the depleting marine resources is unsustainable to ensure nutrition and food security. As fish farmers endeavors to supply and bridge the country's fish deficit gap of 62%, with an expected production capacity of 100,000mt by 2025, the challenge of high mortalities and post harvest loses as a result of untimely market stands in the way of achieving local supply of fish demand. Fish farmers could loss a considerable 45% of their fishes to poor water quality management and other poor practices as a result of lack of efficient and cost effective tools to optimize operations. Fish farmers also struggles to find competitive market for their fish after production making them prone to middlemen exploitation.

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

Our water quality probe saves farmers over 45% of fish that would've been lost to untimely water quality monitoring. We also provide a direct market access for fish farmers wherever they are in Ghana to get their products to consumers directly. Through our extensive app features such as realtime advisory, feed management, and record keeping, farmers are able to save on money, reduce cost of production and makes their venture more sustainable while ensuring food security.

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

Fish farmers

01.05 When was your company established?

2022-10-19

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

2

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

1

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

Priscilla Brempong is a Co-founder of the business who has a background in Agriculture Economics and posses skills in marketing and customer relationship management. Gabriel Lorlornyo is also a Co-founder and the technology lead with a background in Physics and experience in product development.

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

https://www.aquamettechnologies.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/aquamet-technologies/. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.application.aquamet

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

b) Materials (agriculture, fishing, chemical products, construction materials, containers and packaging, metals and mining, paper and forest products)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

6

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

Access to decent and sustainable venture provides economic relief to all through enabling more young people to engage in fish farming using our precision tools

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

About 6 in 10 people consumes fish on daily basis in Ghana. As we empower more farmers to produce more fish, fish will become less expensive for people to consume.

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

5

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

Fish contains high omega 6 and 3 fatty acids that is nutritionally beneficial for growth and development of especially young people.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

3

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

..

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

5

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

Our solution removes the bottlenecks of direct fish farming as most of the activities are digitized on our platform, which makes it easier for all genders to engage with improved outcomes.

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

3

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

..

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

4

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

....

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

6

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

Through our solution, we sensitize and train young people especially women into fish farming, providing them with decent employment.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

5

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

Our solution contributes significantly to aquaculture innovation in Ghana. We currently are the first company pioneering digitized farm management solutions for fish farmers in Ghana.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

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

5

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

Through our production and marketing solutions, farmers are able to produce to meet their market demands, while reducing waste and maintaining the sustainability of the industry.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

5

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

Through our enhanced water quality monitoring, there's reduction in methane emissions caused by fish loss.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

6

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

Our solution protects fish and mortalities are reduced.

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

6

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

Our solution improves the health of people as they are able to eat their most preferred protein, that is fish at a reasonable cost.

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

3

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.

4

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

3

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

4

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

6

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

5

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

6

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

5

06.08 Justification for my startup

Our smart water quality probe is an improvement of already existing probes. But ours offers a remote monitoring and also lower in cost making it accessible to smallholder farmers. Our farm management app is the first of it's kind in Ghana that offers integrated services such as both production and marketing.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Oxyguard........... Smart probe Hanna metres...........smart probe Middlemen--- marketing Our smart probes are over 50% lower in cost to the others while our mobile app offers direct market access for fish farmers to consumers without they getting exploited.

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

Yes,by empowering my cofounder who is a female to found the company.