Zimbabwe - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

TheRig is an edtech, circular economic social enterprising focusing on harnessing electronic waste to teach the coming generation skills in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics).

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

TheRig is an innovative edtech startup committed to sustainability and education. We specialize in repurposing recycled electronic waste to develop a range of learning aids, tools and components for prototyping. By harnessing the potential of e-waste, we have designed a comprehensive kit that facilitates the teaching of basic electronics and provides hands-on demonstrations of physics experiments. TheRig's, approach not only addresses the growing concern of electronic waste management but also equips educators and students with affordable, high-quality educational resources thus, solutions bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, fostering a deeper understanding of STEM concepts in an environmentally responsible manner.

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

The lack of interest and uptake in STEM fields is well documented in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole, this has led to slow development of industries on the continent. With the growing use of electronics and the advancements of technology, e-waste is slowly growing to concerning levels. By recycling the electronic waste to build learning aids we seek to boost the interest and engagement with electronics and robotics. This also gives secondary lives to the electronics we dispose of to move to better technologies, using them as building blocks for our own technologies thus, reducing the cost of production, research and development.

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

1. TheRig kit simplifies simingly complex concepts by making them more tangible and less theoratical, this in turn inspires the next generation of inventors and industrialists. 2. The recycling of electronic waste allows for the provision of affordable components to build prototypes for start up ideas, school or university projects as well as research projects. 3.

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

TheRig is focused on serving, hobbyists, students of all ages, with special emphasis on primary and secondary students as statistics prove they are the most disadvantaged in terms of full exposure to hands on learning aids. In terms of servicing he markets we are looking to push through the schools for the lessons and kits, while creating work for hobbyists or the unemployed youths for the recycling of e-waste, development of makerspaces and distribution of components for prototyping and minimum viable product development (MVP).

01.05 When was your company established?

2023-01-10

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

No

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

2

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.)

The other partner is an industrial engineer, providing the technical expertise of electronics, e-waste harvesting, repurposing and recycling. WIth knowledge in soft skills (software development, coding chips and IoT),

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

https://therig.co.zw

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

Other: Waste Management and Edtech

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

Our business model revolves around upskilling people from various walks of life with an emphasis on the under privieged with the skills in teaching, recycling and disribution of TheRIg Kit. This in turn develops an ecosystem of hobyists or backyard inventors that look to develop products (machines, tools etc) to solve problems within their communities both for profit or general improvement of their everyday lives. As they engage in the deeper sets of the STEM industry they lay a foundation of improving their economic standing thus, ending poverty with the solutions they provide.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

5

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

Our main focus of upskilling and improving the economic standing of the youths we engage allows us to provide more solution providers to the hunger conundrum. While improving the general economic standing of our beneficiaries we put them in better standing to solve problems at a community level, starting by building or repairing machines or tools around them to improve their way of life, using the resources that are available to them, recycling the old, repurposing them to improve production. We also look to use hackathons and competitions to test the viability of various solutions, with zero hunger one of the planned themes.

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

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

One of the main goals of TheRig is t inspire better understanding of STEM by bringing in physical and affordable learning aids to improve the quality of general STEM education. Africa is lagging behind in this field due to a lack of aids that ensure proper assimilation of STEM concepts due to the costly learning aids required by the various syllabi. By recycling e-waste and offering affordable kits to improve STEM education we therefore, improve the quality of education at all levels.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

4

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

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

5

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

By repurposing e-waste we are reducing the need for the production of virgin tools, machines and electronics. By developing new tools we also develop cleaner energy sources adapted to each different community.

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

Our model looks to upskill while providing platforms for youths and the unemployed populous to find an entry into the vast industry of STEM. Through TheRig kit's distribution model we teach beneficiaries how to teach the primary students on the kit and the curriculum provided. By setting up makerspaces for prototyping and localised problem solving, we also give platforms for the germination of startups that are building machines, tools etc for various markets depending on needs and niches identified.

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

TheRig is focused on developing the next generation of innovators while providing the ground for the seeding of the current innovators to provide solutions for the current infrastructural challenges through innovative thinking. We believe by teaching and exposing people to he simplicity of electronics, the design thinking behind reverse engineering and the challenge of problem solving from a local level beneficiaries of our products will seek to innovate, develop and build new industries.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

5

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

TheRig looks to improve the economical standing of its beneficiaries through the skills training, assimilation in the maker culture and laying of a foundation for harnessing the power of STEM. By providing low cost learning aids we address the issue of unequal access to educational material within communities.

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

By recycling electronic waste we reduce the effects of pollution and offer waste management to a type of waste that needs specialised knowledge to manage. TheRig works towards; first and foremost, bringing awareness to the growing need for ewaste management, providing a solution on how to reuse, reduce and recycle ewaste while upskilling beneficiaries. Using the various tools and learning aids produced from the recycling process, an urban-rural linkage is formed by using them to teach the rural folk skills to build and develop their communities thus, building a better life for themselves where they are using tools that are within reach.

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

TheRig is an electronic waste management social enterprise, using waste to create tools for learning building and repairing current or innovative machines and tools. Our model is built around the principles of the circular economy, case in point, we are focused on setting up makerspaces where recycled components are used to build, first, tools for rapid prototyping, for the building of innovative solutions to various challenges in communities. While minimising the use of virgin products we reduce the cost of components and ensure they have a growing need for the various repurposing needs provided by the makerspaces set up.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

5

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

As a recycling company we are reducing the effects of pollution on the environment. Considering the not so widely understood effects of e-waste on our continent, we believe our mission is contributing to the Climate Action cause

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

4

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

3

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

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

3

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.

3

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.

2

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

5

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

3

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

4

06.08 Justification for my startup

TheRig is offering a different way of dealing with e-waste while solving a huge gap in the quality of STEM education. We are innovatively solving it by using the material we have around us and regarded as waste to build tools, machines and solutions to our everyday challenges.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

TheRig faces competition from educational and DIY electronics brands like LittleBits, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and Snap Circuits, as well as e-waste recycling companies such as EnviroServe, WEEE Centre, and Chanja Datti. LittleBits offers user-friendly, modular kits for education, while Arduino and Raspberry Pi cater to versatile and advanced projects, and Snap Circuits targets young learners with easy-to-use kits. E-waste companies focus on recycling and sustainability, addressing the need for responsible electronics disposal. By intergrating the core functions of both edtech and ewaste management we fully embrace circular economy while upskilling, improving the quality of STEM education as well as providing a launch pad for hardware based startups. Our main impact point of providing a plartform for both learning and problem solving without the barrier of components and tools for testing out ideas and solutions.

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

Yes, in the piloting of TheRig Kit, we partnered with Girls In STEM a non-governmental organisation focused on growing the engagement of women nd girls in the STEM industry and education.