Through EDF Pulse Africa Award, EDF supports the entrepreneurial drive in Africa in order to identify new partners and stimulate the development of innovative, low carbon and local energy solutions.
EDF Pulse Africa
Launched in 2017, EDF Pulse Africa is an extension of EDF Innovation Awards exclusively dedicated to African entrepreneurs. The Awards ambitions to support and assist African innovators playing a role in energy development in their own country. South African entrepreneurs have fully embraced the Award spirit with many start-ups taking their chance every year.
In 2019, South-African start-up PLENTIFY was awarded the Boost Award by EDF.
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54
African countries covered by the Award
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536
projects submitted in 2019 edition
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15,000
€ of financial support for the winner
The PLENTIFY innovative project
Supported by Jon Kornik, its South-African founder, PLENTIFY has developed a device to convert water heaters connected to the electrical grid into thermal batteries. Based on an engine using Artificial Intelligence, these batteries recharge when electricity is available on the grid. PLENTIFY purpose is to avoid costly and non-green production of electricity during demand peaks. Combined with a mobile application, this process also halves the cost of heating for the equipped households.
EDF Pulse Africa Great Jury has been fully convinced by Mr Kornik presentation and has created a special mention for the occasion.