The Kosmos Innovation Center-backed female healthcare startup Kodu Technology has been selected for the Toilet Board Coalition Accelerator programme.
The Toilet Board Coalition’s Accelerator is a year-long program designed to empower sanitation economy businesses with mentorship, partnerships, and enhanced visibility for growth. Participants receive 12 months of in-kind support, access to global and local mentorship from business leaders, and unlock opportunities for investments and strategic partnerships. Moreover, they benefit from the business intelligence the Coalition’s global platform offers and have brand-building opportunities.
Additionally, participants gain membership to the esteemed Toilet Board Coalition, further amplifying their connections and opportunities within the sanitation sector. The programme prepares businesses for investments and strategic partnerships that bring innovation and scale.
Founded by Longi Aadam, Dr. Iddi Mohammed Faried, Dr Mohammed Latifa and Mubarakatu Farouk in 2022, the direct-to-consumer wellness startup manufactures affordable, organic and eco-friendly sanitary pads from recycled banana or plantain fibres. By recycling banana fibre to produce cheaper alternatives to conventional sanitary pads, the company tackles the challenge of agriculture residues on farms and period poverty in rural communities.
Importation essentially drives Ghana’s sanitary pad market. Over the last five years, $35 million of sanitary pads have been imported into the country annually at the cost of the country’s scarce foreign reserves. End users are also exposed to price surges when the local currency depreciates. In 2020, when COVID-19 hit, sanitary pads in Ghana cost between GHS 5 and GHS 7. By July 2023, the price had skyrocketed by 300% to GHS15.
Kodu Technology’s locally manufactured affordable pad solves the dire challenge of accessibility and affordability for females. The Tamale-based startup has raised about $70,000 in grant funding from the Kosmos Innovation Center and the Standard Chartered Women in Tech Incubator. In 2023, they also secured GHS100k as the coveted Circular Economy Competition winner.
Source: Toilet Board
