Togo - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Our startup mission is to leverage AI (Artificial intelligence) to help organize waste data and make it universally accessible and useful, starting from Togo, then Africa, and the whole world afterward.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Our slogan is "Together, let's Clean Up Africa! Report & Track Waste near you with Clean Africa. Be Part of the Solution!". We are making availble on smart phone a waste reporting and mapping app, for users to contribute in solving Africa waste problems. For that purpose, we are developing a tech stack with the following steps. 1. begin by curating a comprehensive dataset of images capturing various types of waste in diverse environmental conditions. 2. Next, using deep learning techniques such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), to train AI models capable of accurately classifying and quantifying different waste categories. We do this by implementing advanced computer vision algorithms to estimate the volume and composition of waste based on image analysis. 3. Integration with smartphone applications for end users to enable real-time detection and reporting of waste instances, using onboard processing power for efficient on-device inference.

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

Waste management is a big problem in our country. Most of the wastes end up in landfills. This leads to many issues like * Increase in landfills * Eutrophication * Consumption of toxic waste by animals * Leachate * Increase in toxins * Land, water and air pollution To address this kind of problem, it's important to have data on the location, composition, and evolution of the waste sites and landfills. that's where our startup is stepping in with AI, and a network of partners for data collection for priming the detection models and make the data available to policy makers and all interested parties.

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

Clean Africa app is the perfect project to help accurately identifying the location, the nature, the volume, and the composition of solid waste in open spaces. The project would contribute to environmental conservation efforts, by helping in the understanding of the types and quantities of waste present, facilitating targeted cleanup and waste management strategies, ultimately reducing pollution and preserving natural habitats.

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

- Public policy makers like municipalities, and ministers of environnement - Private sector for decision making

01.05 When was your company established?

2024-01-01

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

No

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

3

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.)

Komi Nagbe - Chief scientist, AI expert Mawuna Koutonin - Chief information officer, product manager Odile Abbey - Chief operations officer

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

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

h) IT (digital services, equipment and software)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

3

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

Clean environnement

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

2

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

environnment protection

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

4

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

5

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

waste recycling

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

3

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

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

Better waste management and cleaner environnement

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

Better data regarding consumption for better policy

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

Environnment protection

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

6

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

Clean water, protection of water sources and rivers

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

better life in cleaner environment

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

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

Lot of public and private actors would be involved.

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

1 - Strongly Disagree

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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.

5

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.

2

06.08 Justification for my startup

This is a innovative company addressing an old issue leveraging new technologies.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Currently data collection on waste is done randomnly, if ever, by NGOs, and public institutions. there is no private company in that field to the best of our knowledge.

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

not beyond my cirlce of friends.