Tech

Kenyan electric vehicles maker, BasiGo announces expansion into Rwanda

Published

9 months ago

July 27, 2023

Kenyan electric vehicles manufacturer, BasiGo has announced expanding into Rwanda following a recent partnership with the Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd (AVA) to assemble its buses.

According to BasiGo Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Jit Bhattacharya, the company is entering into Rwanda with a new entity to be known as BasiGo Rwanda Ltd.

Bhattacharya said BasiGo has also partnered with AC Mobility, which is Rwanda’s leading provider of automated fare collection systems for public transport, as part of this expansion.

“The partnership will deliver electric buses to Kigali transport operators by October of this year through BasiGo’s innovative Pay-As-You-Drive financing model, which the company has also been using in Kenya,” he said.

“The financing model allows owners to purchase the electric buses plus a daily subscription fee which includes the cost of leasing the battery, nightly charging at a BasiGo depot, and service and maintenance for the bus. Through this model, BasiGo and AC Mobility aim to deliver 200 electric buses to bus operators in Rwanda by the end of 2024.

“Rwanda has led the way in creating an enabling ecosystem for E-mobility. BasiGo is proud to be partnering with AC Mobility, a technology leader in Rwanda’s transport sector, to help accelerate the transition to electrified public transport.

“Through our Pay-As-You-Drive model, we are excited to bring a complete E-Bus solution to make this technology affordable, accessible and convenient for all bus operators in Rwanda.” Bhattacharya added.

Also speaking on the development, Jones Kizihira, Chief Executive Officer, AC Mobility Rwanda, said BasiGo and AC Mobility had already signed letters of intent for the pilot with Kigali Bus Service, Royal Express, and Volcano Express, three of Kigali’s leading bus operators.

“We are excited to partner with BasiGo to drive Rwanda’s public bus electrification. The country has recorded rapid transformation, creating a need for a more robust and cost-effective public transport system.

“The electric buses will help ease the cost burden of public bus transporters and advance Rwanda’s transition to clean mobility. We look forward to leveraging BasiGo’s experience and network to build a strong electric bus business in Rwanda”, he said.

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Tech

RepAir, Cella partner to launch carbon capture in Kenya

Published

18 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Global Direct Air Capture (DAC) firm, RepAir, has entered into a partnership with carbon storage technology company, Cella, to launch a first-of-its-kind innovative Carbon Capture and Storage venture in Kenya.

In a statement on its website on Friday, RepAir said the venture will see a replication of its “cultivating partnerships” with storage firms in Europe, U.S. and Africa.

“This storage agreement will streamline the sale of high-quality carbon credits to off-takers, enabling corporations to meet evolving ESG standards, manage offsets and advance towards net zero goals,” the statement issued by RePAir CEO, Amir Amir Shiner, stated.

“Our solution sets a new standard, requiring only 600 kWh per ton of CO2 captured, marking the lowest energy consumption on the market.

“This agreement is perfectly aligned with the launch of our commercial demonstrator in 2025, empowering RepAir to offer high-quality carbon credits to our customers.

“It will see to the establishment of a storage partnership with Cella aimed at creating dedicated value chains for extracting CO2 from the atmosphere and permanently storing it underground through in-situ mineralization.

Corey Pattison, CEO, Cella, who also issued a statement on the partnership, said “by partnering with Cella at our first demonstration site, RepAir can capitalize on two critical resources: the potential for truly permanent, highly verifiable carbon storage via mineralization combined with Kenya’s abundant renewable energy sources.

“Together these resources provide a comprehensive solution for capturing and storing CO2 for off-takers. This collaboration represents an extraordinary opportunity to nurture mutual growth.”

Tech

Intel Liftoff Hackathon 2024 calls for applications from African AI startups

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Applications for the 2024 cohort of Intel Liftoff Hackathon has opened for African AI startups designed to bring together aspiring tech entrepreneurs, software developers, and AI enthusiasts to collaborate, innovate, and create solutions to concrete African challenges.

In its second edition, the hackathon welcomes pioneering early-stage AI startup teams from the African continent, delving into experiments with LLM technology, a statement on the website of the organiser stated.

It added that the Intel Liftoff Hackathon for African AI Startups, which will be held online on May 27-31, is themed “Hack and Connect”, and will take place in partnership with Modus Africa, University Mohamed VI Polytechnic, Morocco

Other partners include TUT Hub of Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Africa, Prosper Africa, UM6P Ventures, FAST Accelerator, Innov8 Technology Hubs, and Open Startups International.

“The hackathon will feature hands-on workshops that will allow learning of AI essentials; three days of challenges with mentors to test skills; exhibition opportunities to showcase startups and forge partnerships with industry leaders; and networking opportunities to engage with fellow startups and gain insights from domain experts in the AI ecosystem,” the statement said.

“Winners will be invited to join the Intel Liftoff for Startups programme, and receive unique mentoring sessions with ecosystem partners and marketing opportunities with blog articles,” it concluded.