The "City of Champions" has done it again! On the 29th of September, Kenya’s green entrepreneurship ecosystem hit a massive milestone at the National Demo Day for the IYBA-SEED Green Industries program. The mission? Accelerating the regional expansion of green industries across Africa.
For us at EldoHub, this wasn’t just a pitching competition; it was the ultimate culmination of our commitment to strengthening support organisations and preparing green enterprises to scale far beyond their home borders. Africa's green sector is one of the fastest-growing yet largely untapped markets on the continent. Through the IYBA-SEED program, EldoHub has been working hard behind the scenes—equipping our Business Development Service (BDS) providers with diagnostic tools, assessing global market trends, and building tailored frameworks to transition local startups into regional powerhouses.
The National Demo Day served as a collaborative powerhouse, uniting four of Kenya's leading Startup Advisory Entities (SAEs)—EldoHub, KNCCI, Nakurubox, and SOMO. Together, we took over the national stage to showcase the tangible results and impact of the program, connect our 10 brilliant SEED companies with investors, and position Kenya as the leading hub for green innovation in East Africa.
Meet the EldoHub Pioneers: Rewriting the Agrifood & Circular Economy
Our SEED entrepreneurs took the stage by storm, proving that sustainable solutions can be highly profitable, market-ready, and scalable. The judges evaluated businesses on the relevance of their solutions, business model strength, and growth potential.
Representing the best of EldoHub's rigorous incubation and acceleration, three of our standout enterprises showcased how they are completely transforming the agribusiness landscape:
Eco-Bees Company Limited (Led by Augustine Wahome)
Augustine, a brilliant financial analyst turned agribusiness innovator, is revolutionising Kenya’s honey value chain. Since launching Eco-Bees in 2023, he has established a honey processing plant, secured KEBS certification, and introduced a game-changing KES 10 honey stick that makes pure honey accessible to both retail and humanitarian markets. Through EldoHub's network, Eco-Bees has improved its packaging and connected with over 50 beekeepers in the North Rift region, driving hive expansion and boosting rural farmer incomes.Vermiseed Ventures (Led by Samson Rop)
Samson is the powerhouse behind this youth-led, regenerative agribusiness that turns climate challenges into economic wins. Vermiseed Ventures utilizes a brilliant "waste-to-wealth" model, using vermicomposting and Black Soldier Fly larvae production to transform organic waste into high-value organic fertilizers and animal feed. EldoHub’s ongoing strategic support has helped Samson scale up his operations dramatically—expanding organic fertilizer production from a humble 5 kilograms to a massive 5 tonnes! Today, he employs five local youths, converts massive amounts of waste per month, and partners with heavyweights like AMPATH and the World Food Programme to deliver organic fertilizers to farmers across Uasin Gishu.Gooseberry Delight Ltd - GDL (Led by Viola Maina)
An agro-processing trailblazer registered in 2020, GDL is the proud pioneer of commercial gooseberry growing and processing in Kenya. Combining a Master’s degree in Marketing with over 20 years of sales expertise, Viola has turned gooseberries into high-value hot sauces, jams, and dried fruits. Her products are already stocked countrywide in leading supermarkets like Naivas, Chandarana, and Quickmart. By utilizing EldoHub's capacity-building programs, GDL has signed MOUs with 3,000 local farmers (actively working with 45–100) to meet mounting commercial demands.
The Grand Finale: EldoHub’s Champion Takes the Continental Stage!
The ultimate highlight of the National Demo Day was selecting the four champion SEEDs (one per SAE) to represent Kenya at the Regional Demo Day.
Following intensive deliberations on the 29th of September, the jury looked at the sheer market-readiness, scalability, and structural support backing our entrepreneurs. We are thrilled to announce that Viola Maina, CEO of Gooseberries Delight, was selected as the winning SEED to represent EldoHub on the continental stage!
With the wind of EldoHub’s training beneath her wings, Viola is now gearing up to scale operations into the Swedish market. She will carry the EldoHub and Kenyan flag to the Regional Demo Day, competing head-to-head with top green enterprises from Senegal, South Africa, Benin, and Togo.
Looking Forward: Building a Greener Africa
This Demo Day proved that when we build stronger support organisations, we create better-prepared green enterprises. EldoHub remains fiercely committed to fostering direct connections between eco-innovators, potential investors, commercial banks, and strategic buyers to keep this momentum going.
The journey doesn't stop here. We are incredibly proud of Augustine, Samson, Viola, and all the SEEDs who proved that Kenya’s green economy is robust, innovative, and completely ready to conquer the African continent! 🚀🌍
