Malawi - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Marcco Energy is a project focusing on provision of clean cooking solution. We have designed a stove called Shima stove which is a biomass gasfier stove that runs on biomass pellets, Shima stove offers cheaper, cleaner and eco-friendly cooking solution.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Marcco Energy is dedicated to revolutionizing the cooking energy sector by offering a better alternative to charcoal and firewood. Our Shima stove uses a 12v fan that use less electricity equivalent to laptop charging, 12v battery or a small solar. The fan forces air enabling gasfication and due to availability of oxygen ensuring complete combustion of pellets makes it smoke-free. This smokeless means our Shima stove is convenient as it can be used both indoor and outdoor. The gasfication also makes the pellets to burn steadily for long time with 500g lasting 1 hour making this the cheapest cooking solution available in Malawi since a family of 6 only need 2.5 kg of pellets a day which we outsource, rebrand and sell at 200 per kg. Shima cost us MK20,000 to make and we sell at MK35,000. We designed Shima stove to be an answer to many Malawians as they were hindered to switch from Charcoal to pellets due to high cost of those Pellet stoves from outside that price-out 95% of Malawians.

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

As someone with personal experience having used charcoal and firewood for cooking untill recently when I decided to find a better solution and designed Shima stove that use pellets, I understand that access to clean energy that is both sustainable and affordable is a major problem to most Malawians. Despite charcoal and firewood being detrimental to the environment as it is the main cause for massive deforest and carbon emmision, they are also increasingly becoming unaffordable for an average Malawian due to low levels of supply as the forests are running out and government is becoming more strict affecting the price in the process as the demand for cooking fuel is evergrowing. Shima stove that uses pellets made from sawdust a byproduct of timber processing ensures that trees are preserved by recycling and reusing sawdust which could have been a waste making Pellets a renewable and clean energy fuel. Making Shima pellet stove affordable and accessible increases access to clean energy.

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

Shima stove is an eco-friendly product that ensures low carbon emmisions as it does not produce smoke when using, it also help in the fight against deforest by providing a stove that use pellets which is a cooking solution that does not require trees to be cut unlike charcoal and firewood. The other benefit is on health as millions of people die every year due to exposure to smoke when cooking with charcoal and firewood, hence Shima stove that is smoke-free preserves the health and lives of women and children as they are the ones spending most of the time in those chickens with a lot of smoke. Shima stove also offers the most affordable cooking solution as in Malawi cooking with pellets is the cheapest option as compared to charcoal, firewood,gas, electricity and briquettes. For instance a family of 6 require charcoal of over MK1,000 a day while only need 2.5 kg of pellets which cost MK500 a day. As most malawians are struggling financially switching to pellets is the best choice.

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

Our target markets are those that use charcoal and firewood, since in Malawi 90% use charcoal and firewood this means our target markets are wide and far reaching. We have three designs for Shima stove the small one for households, the medium for restaurants and small businesses and the large one for boarding schools which most of them use a lot of trees for firewood. We basically use below the line marketing to reach our customers with minimal budget mainly Facebook sponsored ads, trade shows in local trading centers and local restaurant to demonstrate how Shima stove works and give the a better understanding and so far the demand for our stove is growing bigger than we can supply due to lack of resources to start mass production and reach our intended impact in society. To properly manage inventory and ensure consistent availability of pellets to our customers we intend to start manufacturing pellets ourselves when we procure pellet machine which cost MK 7,000,000 here in Malawi.

01.05 When was your company established?

2021-10-29

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

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.)

Not applicable

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

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560587409492&mibextid=ZbWKwL

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

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

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

6

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

Poverty is mainly symblized and indicated by poor quality of life and lack of access to clean cooking energy is also a symbol of poverty. By ensuring increased access to clean cooking with our Shima stove that use pellets we will be contributing towards aradication of poverty. Shima stove also offers the most affordable alternative hence helping Malawians to save on their cooking cost and use the other money for something different helping to have the income they earn sustain them and move away from poverty line.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

Looking at how expensive charcoal has become there is a high possibility that other extremely poor families might fail to cook and eat due to lack of cooking fuel. Our project that centers around affordability of cooking fuel these families now have the cheapest cooking fuel alternative available. Their access to cheap pellets will ensure they do not suffer of hunger due to lack of cooking fuel.

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

Since charcoal and firewood emmit a lot of smoke when cooking putting the health and life of a cook at risk, our project offer a better solution. Using pellets on Shima stove ensures safety of the people cooking as it does not produce smoke due to its gasfication nature. This helps to improve the health and overall well being of women and children mainly because they are the ones who use the kitchen more often.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

5

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

By providing cost saving cooking solution parents would save enough money to use for school fees to send their children to good schools. Quality education also needs one to be in good health to access and by using Shima stove and avoiding exposure to smoke good health can be achieved enabling one to access quality education happily.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

2

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

Not applicable

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

2

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

Not applicable

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

Our project is mainly about providing clean cooking energy solutions. Knowing how most of the Malawians are facing economic challenges and cannot catch up with the ever increasing charcoal prices we have come up with a solution that is affordable for all malawians. As pellets has proven to be the cheapest cooking fuel option in Malawi. It's not only cheap but clean and convenient as well as it does not produce smoke and can be used both indoors and outdoors.

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

We are currently creating 12 jobs with 5 permanent employees since we are a startup though registered in 2021 we have been in full operation and brought our product to Market for few months. With our intention to grow big and start mass production of Shima stove and Shima Pellets to reach more people, creating employment for more people will be part of that growth. This will help our country economic growth and individual economic growth of our employees as they will be able earn a living and sustain their families

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

6

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

Our project is innovate in nature and with the right resources we intend to build an industrial plant for mass production of Shima stoves and Shima Pellets and this might inspire other youths to also come up with innovate projects in the future.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

6

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

There is a disparity in access to clean energy between developed countries and developing countries like Malawi where developing countries like Malawi low levels of access to clean energy resulting in inequality in the quality of life. Even in the same country access to clean cooking energy is high among rich people who can afford to cook with electricity and gas while poor people cannot afford and has to resort to charcoal and firewood, but with Shima stove that gap has been reduced since even poor people can now access clean cooking energy

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

5

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

The Pellets that are used in Shima stove are made from a byproduct of timber processing sawdust and other wastes, if they were not recycled and reused to make pellets they would have been left to decompose and release greenhouse gas into the sky affecting ozonlayer in the process. By recycling and reusing sawdust to make pellets it helps in cleaning the cities as these sawdust would have been dumped somewhere, to decompose and release bad smell and makes the city untidy.

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

All our products are produced with locally available resources ensuring that we do not affect the country forex by importing from outside and we also help other local businesses grow by buying them some of the materials we need.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

Since deforestation is a major cause for climate change our project which aims at preserving the environment by offering a product to substitute charcoal and firewood which are the main causes of deforestation, we are very proud to be part of the solution to combat climate change.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

Not applicable

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

6

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

Our project aims at providing a solution to substitute the use of charcoal and firewood for cooking which are the major causes of deforestation.

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

4

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

Not applicable

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

3

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

Not applicable

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

2

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

2

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.

2

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

2

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

The Shima stove is responded by people who have been frustrated with the prices of charcoal, others who are concerned about the environment so this stove uses biomass gasfication technology to extract the mixture of gases in the pellets which could have been smoke but because of high oxygen it causes complete combustion turning the mixture of gases into flames hence there is no smoke. Shima uses the burning chamber that has holes for air ventilation at the top this makes the Pellets to burn for long time and steadily, the stove is also designed in a way that the burning starts from the top to down with few holes at the bottom of the burning chamber and more hole at the top of the chamber ensuring that the pellets at the bottom do not burn simultaneously with those at the top so that if cooking is done while pellets haven't finished burning they can simply remove the burned ones at the top and since those at the bottom are not burned can be removed and used later, ensuring efficiency.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

The main competition is the pellet stoves from outside the country there is a stove called Mini moto designed in Netherland and Fab designed in South Africa. Even though Shima does the function as those Pellet stoves our advantage from local perspective is the price since our aim is to make the adoption of the use of pellets possible and since people cannot use pellets without these pellets stoves that hold the key towards the transition of luring people to switch from Charcoal to pellets. Shima is made to be affordable to average people as it only cost MK35,000 while Min Moto and Fab cost MK250,000 and MK170,000 respectively. With these prices most Malawians cannot afford to buy hence making price a hindrance towards adoption of clean cooking with pellets solution, hence most people will opt to buy Shima due to its affordability as compared to those other stoves since Shima does the same function.

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