Kenya - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Surplus Energy - We install piped gas to high volume gas consumers eg Apartments, 1,2&3 bedroom units to shared gas cylinders to reduce inconveniences of abrupt need of refill, offer flexibility to buy smaller gas volumes in the system for our clients.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Surplus Energy - We are a safe link between Lpg companies & consumers. We provide an easier way of gas distribution, gas monitoring and a flexible payment option to our consumers. How do we achieve this? 1) We install piped gas in a whole building consisting of for example 10 units of 1 Bedroom houses. 2) Instead of every household buying a gas cylinder which increases fire related accidents, We pipe in gas to every kitchen house for the 10units and the gas cylinder is installed outside the houses. 3)The gas cylinders have a gprs location identifier, a rate of consumption calculator which sends alerts for main gas cylinder refill when the cylinder is 20% almost done. The cylinders have a remote shutdown Incase of leaks. 4) Every installed gas unit has a prepaid gas meter which can be remotely charged via mobile money like mpesa and assigns a certain units in the meter.The gas meter has a valve that opens automatically on top up. 5) We are responsible for gas refill of the gas cylinder

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

Problems 1) how is gas distribution in Kenya done?Gas distribution in Kenya is done through sale of gas cylinders eg 13kg in specific areas like petrol stations or gas retailers shop.2) How do gas cylinders reach consumers home? Consumers have to either call the retailer to deliver a cylinder or consumers take themselves to the shops for purchase or exchange of an empty with a full cylinder. 3) is a consumer able to know when his gas cylinder will need a refill? Does he have all the amount needed to refill the cylinder? The only way a cylinder owner is able to tell when his cylinder is empty is when no gas is coming out of the cylinder to cook. If this happens during the night in the middle of cooking he has to wait tomorrow to refill. Where he doesn't have enough money to refill the gas he has to borrow or a way of coming up with the whole amount. The problem we are trying to solve is the inconveniences that comes with gas refilling which is abrupt and finds clients unaware.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

Why Surplus energy. 1) We eliminate the need for every tenant to buy a gas cylinder to consume gas. 2) We provide a system that accommodates both high income earners and low income earners in gas purchasing. One can buy both large volumes of gas or low amount in the same system. 3) We reduce the worry of gas can be empty when you need it the most eg at night, very early in the morning, while you have guests etc. 4) We save our customers inconveniences relating to refilling ie we are responsible to refill gas cylinders thus they should never worry about gas being unavailable. 5) Our prepaid gas meters meets all our customer needs. 6) We help Lpg firms reduce illegal refills. 7) We are making gas affordable thus more people choose it as a mode of cooking.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Our target market. Gas consumption in Kenya is currently at 400,000 tonnes annually and is expected to double by vision 2030. Our main target Customers are landlords in Cities and upcoming towns who are building houses for city dwellers. Our model targets an area, Installs gas in the apartment within that area and takes control over refills in the apartments. Our targets is to start in a region in the capital, scale it in that area then move to other regions in the city. We are targeting at least 10000 units in the next 5yrs with enough financing. We have also communicated with landlords who are upholding it well since it also improves their building status.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2022-05-20

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

3

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

1

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Judith Mulandi - procurement officer kwema steal. Khesia Self employed Electrical and Electronics. Elic kimani ngigi - Ast manager Leadwort kenya ltd.

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

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kimani-ngigi-8290b0185_i-see-a-lot-of-mistakes-being-made-by-the-activity-7107599627280904192-RGKF?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

a) Energy (equipment, services, sustainable energy and fuel)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

Poverty With our prepaid gas metering system, We allow our customers to purchase gas of any amount from the bigger system.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

Zero hunger By easing the process of accessing gas by households, We ensure they are able to afford basic cooking needs.

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

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

Good health and well being By installing cylinders outside a household, it gives out customers peace as it reduces fire related accidents especially in areas where counterfeit gas cylinders are sold.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

6

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Quality education. Our innovation is something people should look up to as an improvement of how things are done currently to an improved version as a result of educational research. Our system is an indication of how quality education brings change in a society by improving and easing processes.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

6

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

Gender equality. Our team promotes gender equality as we have our group manager as a lady and she does coordinator very efficiently.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

6

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

Clean water & sanitation. By availing affordable gas to our consumers they are able to boil and have hygienic water.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

6

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

Affordable clean energy. Our model eliminates, unauthorized gas vendors from the chain of distribution and this provides clean energy. Our flexible prepaid model ensures affordable gas to our customers.

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

6

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

Descent work & Economic growth. Our model scaling will provide a conducive work environment to our workers.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

5

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

Industry innovation and Infrastructure. Our model acts as an improvement to the current gas distribution channels. It's a disrupt to improve whatever is currently being offered by LPG firms.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

5

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

Reduced inequalities. Before, one had to purchase a cylinder to have gas access but under our new model everybody is able to tap in the system and access gas so long as it is installed in the apartment.

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

6

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

Sustainable cities and communities. Our system creates a smooth running and distribution of gas commodities in cities and urban areas.

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

5

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

Responsible consumption and production. Our business model smoothens the chain of distribution between producers to consumers in our distribution system eliminating unauthorized distributors.

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

Climate action Our business model promotes an eased process of accessing gas that reduces fire related occurrences that cause harm to climate change.

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

5

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

We keep the environment free to create a conducive air environment for sea life.

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

Life on land. Our model smoothens the way of life on land by easing access to cooking gas affordably and efficiently.

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

6

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

Peace justice and strong institutions. Lately, there has been a lot of injustices when unregistered and unregulated refillers illegally refill gas causing fire related accidents that cause conflict among people but our model harmonizes to create peace justice and strong institutions.

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

5

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

Partnerships for the goal. Our model looks into partnering with different stake holders to ensure smooth running growth and mutual benefit for all key partners.

05.01 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

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

6

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

7 - Strongly Agree

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

7 - Strongly Agree

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.08 Justification

Our model is a transitioning business to the current gas distribution model. As opposed to the challenges of sourcing wasting time and resources to source gas products, we are availing making it flexible to buy and eliminate the challenge of refill from consumers to us.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

Our main competitors are normal distributors who lack a way of reaching customers with ease. Their model have a challage of inconvenience and is not flexible. It's a traditional method with does not support innovation and thus very difficult to scale. Our model not only does it convert a customers but also makes the customer reliant on the system and thus hard to leave the system.

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

Yes, I have been in a Turkish startup training in campus in their second batch they wanted to train female entrepreneurs in tech under a brand women in tech initiative. I reffered most of my friends women into the channel and many of them secured jobs after while others started their own startups.