Ethiopia - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

We aim to eliminate organic landfill waste, replace conventional fuels with biofuels, and replace artificial fertilizers with biofertilizers using biogas digesters - Turning organic waste into biogas and biofertilizer.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Emfraz was formed to perform research and development and bring to market new and improvements to existing renewable and environmentally conscious agriculture and energy solutions. The initial goal of the company is to replace artificial fertilizers with organic bio fertilizers, replace conventional natural gas/propane/LPG with biogas, and eliminate organic landfill waste. In order to achieve the initial goal of the company, we will work to enable businesses and organizations that generate organic waste utilize anaerobic digestion - Turning organic waste, that would otherwise be sent to landfills and emit greenhouse gasses, into renewable energy and bio fertilizer - using an affordable and portable biogas digester. A biogas digester is a waste management system, renewable energy generating system, and an organic fertilizer production system all rolled into one package.

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

The Biogas digesters that we are providing are made of Fiberglass and manufactured in Ethiopia. They are easy and quick to manufacture en masse, easy to transport, easy to install, and portable. Traditional digesters currently in Ethiopia are made of concrete - they are permanent non portable structures and slow to implement and install en masse. By providing digesters that are portable, easy to manufacture, transport, install, and maintain - we aim to accelerate the adoption rate of the technology to effect real change and make a significant and tangible impact on the Energy, Environment, and Agriculture sectors while also providing real value to private and government organizations that adopt the technology and implement the system.

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

Benefits of installing our Biogas Digesters for target customers: Organic Waste disposal costs can be eliminated. Generated Biogas can be used locally and can be sold for profit. Produced Fertilizer can be used locally and can be sold for profit. Carbon Credits can be obtained and traded on the Carbon Offset Market. *Cost Reduction: Waste Disposal, Energy, Fertilizer *Profit/Income Generation: Energy, Fertilizer, Carbon Environmental benefit: Decrease Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Decrease/Eliminate Organic Landfill Waste. Decrease the Energy used to produce Artificial Fertilizers. Decrease the amount of Conventional Natural Gas used as raw material to produce Artificial Fertilizers. Energy Output: Renewable Natural Gas/Biogas that can be used for heating, cooking, and/or electricity generation. Agricultural Output: Bio Fertilizer that can be used to replace or reduce the use of artificial fertilizers.

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

Target customers include any individual household or organization that generates organic waste - Specifically: Farmers - Dairy, Poultry, Cattle... Hotels and Restaurants Schools, Colleges, Universities Waste Disposal Municipalities Food and Beverage processing facilities/factories

01.05 When was your company established?

2023-09-20

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

No

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.)

NA

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?

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

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

Fertilizer is vital for farming - production of food. Our product enables farmers to produce their own fertilizer which they can use to replace or supplement artificial fertilizers. Artificial fertilizers are expensive and they are often hard to come by in Ethiopia - Supply issues and conflict being the main obstacles. A product that helps farmers produce more food - quality food - using their own waste contributes to the No Poverty goal.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

Similar to the No Poverty goal: Fertilizer is vital for farming - production of food. Our product enables farmers to produce their own fertilizer which they can use to replace or supplement artificial fertilizers. Artificial fertilizers are expensive and they are often hard to come by in Ethiopia - Supply issues and conflict being the main obstacles. A product that helps farmers produce more food - quality food - using their own waste contributes to the Zero Hunger goal.

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

In Ethiopia most households, especially rural households, use open fire and charcoal for cooking. Open fires release toxic fumes that are detrimental to the respiratory health of an individual who constantly uses them and is exposed to the fumes everyday. Biogas can eliminate that health hazard enabling individuals to stay healthy by using clean energy for cooking.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

When biogas systems are implemented in rural areas where there is no electricity, they can be used not only for cooking purposes but also for lighting purposes, via gas lamps/lights, giving students in a given households where there is no electricity more time to study and finish school work. Young students are also typically required to help their parents by working in a given rural household - if they were fetching wood and turning cow dung into dung bricks for cooking, they will no longer be required to perform those tasks when a biogas digester is installed. The time saved can be turned into productive study/learning time.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

In most Ethiopian rural households women are required to collect firewood and cook meals, bread, and injera. Women spend a considerable amount of time and energy collecting firewood. Smoke from cooking on open fires is also a health hazard and women are disproportionately affected by it. Installing a biogas digester will help save time and eliminate the need for collecting wood and cooking on open fires.

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

Organic waste is collected and typically dumped into landfills. Landfills are toxic, emit greenhouse gases and can pollute ground water. Biogas digesters turn organic waste into bio fertilizer and biogas - eliminating the need to dispose of organic waste into landfills. Decreasing the amount of waste that goes into landfills should be a priority of any clean water and sanitation initiative.

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

Biogas is a clean, renewable, and sustainable energy. It is also produced locally by using waste that is generated locally. Customers that install biogas digesters can be energy independent and they can eliminate the use of conventional fuels that contribute to climate change.

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

5

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

Production of clean energy and clean fertilizers *locally* can positively impact the economic growth of our country Ethiopia. Ethiopia uses foreign currency to purchase conventional fuels and artificial fertilizers since they are not produced locally. When the mass adoption of biogas digesters is successful, the amount of conventional fuel and artificial fertilizer that needs to be purchased is considerably reduced - saving foreign currency that is always in short supply in Ethiopia.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

4

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

Oil producing countries have disproportionately benefited from the current system that is heavily reliant on conventual fuels. Any replacement of conventional fuel with locally produced biogas will decrease the reliance of non oil producing countries on oil producing ones - reducing the inequalities between those countries.

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

Biogas digesters use local organic waste for the production of biogas and bio fertilizer. Enabling the user to be self-sufficient and resilient using locally generated waste to produce sustainable energy and fertilizer - which they can use for local consumption and/or sale as an income generator.

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

Nature has cycles for nutrient and element - carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle are some examples. Lets consider a much broader cycle: - Food is produced -> Food is Consumed -> Food is Digested -> Food is released as waste Biogas digesters will be able turn waste that is released after the consumption of food and waste that is released during the production and preparation of food in to energy and fertilizer - the fertilizer can complete the cycle above when it is used for the production of food. Using organic waste for the sustainable production of food instead of disposing it into landfills contributing to a toxic environment and climate change can be considered responsible consumption and production.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

Organic waste takes more than half the space of a typical landfill. As mentioned - landfills are toxic and they emit greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Eliminating organic landfill waste is crucial for the reversal of climate change. Biogas is a renewable energy that can replace conventual fuels. Conventional fuels are major contributors to climate change, so reducing their use by replacing them with a renewable fuel such as biogas is crucial for the reversal of climate change. Biogas digesters will be able to eliminate organic landfill waste and produce biogas for the replacement of conventional fuels.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

3

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

4

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

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.

3

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.

1 - Strongly Disagree

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.08 Justification for my startup

We have a product that is an improved version of an old product. A biogas digester made of fiberglass instead of concrete. A digester that is portable, easy to manufacture en masse, easy to transport, install and maintain. Our company is able to distribute biogas digesters en masse to effect real change and make a tangible impact. Speed and portability is what sets us apart: Manufactured products are generally faster to implement and produce than constructed products. Portable products are often better than fixed products such as concrete digesters - accounting for future preference changes and ease of maintenance.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Biogas companies who construct biogas digesters using concreate are our competitors. They provide digesters that are fixed structures while we provide digesters that are portable, they are limited to a couple of builds at one time since they are constructing the digesters while we can provide a large number of digesters in a fraction of the time since they are manufactured using preset molds, and the fixed digesters are hard to maintain while our digesters have the capability to be disassembled and moved to be maintained when ever needed.

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

The company is currently a startup and needs resources and help from other companies including ones that are owned by women. In the future we plan to provide resources and help startups and entrepreneurs - especially entrepreneurs that are women. As mentioned in one of the previous questions - Our work force will also consist of at least 50 percent women and at least 10 percent persons with disabilities.