The startup or entrepreneurial journey has never been an easy feat. The journey captures moments when a founder has to brainstorm all through the night, engage in a series of personal development programs, have little to no family or fun time, brave out optimism in stormy moments, and even lead an army when there is no defined direction. Yet, in all these, one cannot help but marvel at how victorious some startups emerge. In this article, we will learn of some Ghanaian startups you know or may not know that yielded results in a harsh economy. They have proven resilient and tenacious and have broken barriers to build businesses that apply innovative technology-enabled solutions to curb some challenges we face as Ghanaians.
Here are the seven businesses that have proven smart, tactical, adaptable, non-conformist, organized, and energetic and are passionately building and growing globally competitive companies.
Mathias Charles Yabe
Mathias is the co-founder of AkoFresh, a Green Cold Chain Enterprise that offers farmers practical and affordable preservation services to end post-harvest losses. He founded the agritech startup in 2018 when a volunteer trip exposed him to the issue of post-harvest losses, which was very detrimental to the people of the Akumadan community in Ghana.
As a young innovator who grew up in a small farming village, this problem inspired him to create a solution to mitigate the issue of post-harvest losses in Ghana. The trio has designed a solar-powered cold storage preservation technology that extends the shelf life of perishable crops from 5 days to 21 days. This off-grid cold store is available to smallholder farmers as a service where farmers pay a daily fee of $0.30 per 20kg crate stored or pay weekly subscription fees. Mathias is a recipient of about 8 awards from participating in several accelerator programs.
Constance Elizabeth Swaniker
Constance Swaniker is a renowned Ghanaian sculptor making strides in the arts and craft sector with global recognition. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Sculpture at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi in 1999. After graduating from KNUST, Constance established Accents and Art Limited, the premier purveyor of iron mongery in Ghana and, arguably, West Africa. She is also the Design and Technology Institute(DTI) founder. This institution offers students the tools and practical, hands-on approach to help them hone their talents in a conducive environment surrounded by instructors who are passionate about art and design. DTI began two and a half decades ago after Constance ventured into the production of high-standard artifacts and designs to meet the enormous demands of the growing economy.
Constance has a multi-cultural / multi-functional background, having spent eighteen years outside her native Ghana, in the Gambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. This diversity in her experience has been the dominant factor in how she approaches the “arts” and business. An entrepreneur and strategic thinker, Constance sees the “big picture”- the future of the arts in Ghana. She is objective in her approach, cutting through a male-dominated sector, and enjoys the challenges of this environment. While a university student, Constance worked as an apprentice carpenter for five years in a joinery company but specialized in metal work and sculpture, graduating with honors in sculpture. She has raised the benchmark in the wrought iron industry in Ghana and remains an outstanding leader in her field. She is the recipient of several awards, and her works can be found in a wide range of upscale homes, offices, and diplomatic missions both home and abroad. Her works have been showcased in solo and group exhibitions in Ghana, Nigeria, France, and Germany.
MacCarthy Mac-Gbathy Abdullai
MacCarthy is the founder of HOPin Academy. He established the Academy in 2013 to curb the menace of rural-urban migration in Northern Ghana and reduce youth unemployment. MacCarthy wants to reduce the poverty rate drastically, and he believes that entrepreneurship is the solution. HOPin engages in educational innovation to ensure that entrepreneurship becomes part of the core subjects within Basic Schools in Ghana. It acts as an innovation hub to provide goal-oriented, practice-oriented learning for young people harnessing technology. Its programs cover entrepreneurship, digital communication, Information Technology, video production, and business consultancy. The founder is an Executive Board member and a Communications Director of the Ghana Hubs Network, with over 50 network members in 10 regions. Furthermore, he is part of several Boards globally. Since 2013, MacCarthy has overseen 54 startups.
The startup or entrepreneurial journey has never been an easy feat. The journey captures moments when a founder has to brainstorm all through the night, engage in a series of personal development programs, have little to no family or fun time, brave out optimism in stormy moments, and even lead an army when there is no defined direction. Yet, in all these, one cannot help but marvel at how victorious some startups emerge. In this article, we will learn of some Ghanaian startups you know or may not know that yielded results in a harsh economy. They have proven resilient and tenacious and have broken barriers to build businesses that apply innovative technology-enabled solutions to curb some challenges we face as Ghanaians.
Here are the seven businesses that have proven smart, tactical, adaptable, non-conformist, organized, and energetic and are passionately building and growing globally competitive companies.
Source: thebftonline.com
Maxwell Deladem Xonu
Maxwell is championing eco-friendliness in Ghana. He has built EBAPreneur, a climate-action enterprise that focuses on promoting positive impacts on climate and helping local farmers combat post-harvest losses. Founded in 2019, EBAPreneur produces briquettes from wastes such as corn husk, cassava and potato peels, and sawdust. The startup fabricates solar driers from locally sourced materials to help farmers reduce post-harvest losses. The solar driers create a suitable temperature for drying harvested farm produce faster, such as cassava, without any atmospheric disturbance.
Jonathan Kennedy Sowah
Jonathan is the founder of InovTech STEM Centre. He is a passionate, innovative, and creative young leader with a track record of establishing successful students and teachers with industry-relevant skills in the STEAM field. His institution provides students with high-quality, industry-relevant, and sought-after skills and experiences, especially in underserved communities in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) through Robotics Education. InovTech leverages Educational Robots, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Embedded Systems for its notable course. The STEM Center aims to be a world leader in providing innovative and creative STEAM programs that inspire, engage and develop citizens for Africa’s social well-being, economic prosperity, and sustainability. Since its inception, InovTech has impacted over 10,000 students and 2000 teachers across Ghana.
Andrew Takyi-Appiah
Andrew is the co-founder and managing director of Zeepay, the fastest-growing fintech company. He is an expert in Banking and Mobile Payments with over 15 years of experience in Banking and Business Development. Furthermore, Andrew has experience and exposure working in more than 7 markets, including Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, and South Africa. He has been part of vital retail deployments across Africa. His company focuses on improving financial inclusion and making the world a better place to live. Zeepay connects digital assets such as mobile money Wallets, Cards, ATMs, Bank accounts, and Digital tokens to International Money Transfer Operators, Payments, Subscriptions, International Airtime, and Refugee payments.
