Eco Sawa is a startup that produces eco-friendly products; with their pioneer product being Dane bio pesticide. Founded by Davies Ateka and co-founder Charity Kizito, the pesticide is an organic substitute to the numerous poisonous products in the market today.
Dane bio pesticide can be used to prevent a wide variety of insects and pests such as the Desert locust and the Fall Armyworm from destroying farmers’ crops. Many people do not value the use of pesticides for pest controls, but some of the major causes of food shortages in Kenya is due to infestations. Farmers suffer additional losses due to crop diseases caused by the pests. The company is currently in the process of getting their product licensed by the local Kenyan pesticide authority; Pesticide Control Products Board (PCPB) to enable certification to increase the market value and allow for product distribution.
Eco Sawa participated in the Climate Launchpad (CLP) 2017 competition. They took third place during the Kenya National Finals. This allowed Davies to complete at Grand Finals in Cyprus. “The journey was a great experience and an eye opener for me. I learned a lot especially on entrepreneurship and on how to take advantage of opportunities. It also enabled us as Eco Sawa to network with like-minded individuals and companies,” Davies says.
The company was initially known as Dach which was the name they used in the CLP competition. They are now a registered company under the Kenya Business Registrar and the official name is Eco Sawa Limited.
They were ranked among the top 100 most promising start ups at the Nairobi Innovation Week 2018 and it is through this recognition that the company was chosen from a list of other Kenyan start-ups to present Kenya in the 3rd Green Sustainable Chemistry Conference that was held in Berlin, Germany. He adds, “A couple of companies have shown interest in helping us get our product to the market such as Netbiz Impact and we are looking forward to seeing more investors coming on board.”
Davies describes Eco Sawa’s relationship with Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) as beneficial and authentic. “KCIC is the support system of our start up, especially when it comes to business advice and linking us with relevant people, potential investors, information and conferences related to our field which is agriculture.”
By Michelle Mung’ata