Keep IT Cool

Keep IT Cool (KIC) offers a technology-driven, end-to-end cold chain logistics solution targeting the significant challenge of post-harvest losses in East Africa's white meat and produce sectors. Founded in 2020 by Francis Nderitu and Abigail Gachigi, the company emerged from Nderitu's firsthand experience with the struggles of smallholder farmers to get fair prices for their produce. The venture addresses a critical vulnerability in the regional food supply chain, where up to 50% of a fish catch can be lost daily due to inadequate storage and transport.

The company's core business revolves around providing decentralized, solar-powered cold storage and refrigerated transport, bridging the gap between producers and consumers. KIC installs solar-powered cold units at fish landing sites and offers refrigerated cooling boxes, allowing fisherfolk and farmers to preserve their harvests. This is complemented by a fleet of refrigerated and hybrid trucks that transport the goods to aggregation centers and then to final buyers. This integrated system has demonstrably reduced post-harvest losses by up to 98% and cut carbon emissions by 51%. A significant milestone for the company was winning the 2024 Earthshot Prize in the 'Build a Waste-Free World' category, which included £1 million in funding to scale its operations.

Keep IT Cool operates a business-to-business model, primarily serving small-scale fisherfolk, poultry farmers, and the retailers who buy from them. Its clients range from fisherfolk cooperatives to over 2,000 small businesses and 40 supermarkets. Revenue is generated through its 'cold chain as a service' (CaaS) offering. This includes rental models for freezers, where businesses can pay a weekly fee of less than Sh500, or a model where the cost of the freezer is incorporated into the product price with a minimum weekly purchase. Integral to its operation is the B2B digital platform, "Markiti," which connects producers directly to a network of shops, restaurants, and butcheries. This app allows retailers to place orders, providing producers with predictable demand and stable cash flow, thereby bypassing exploitative middlemen and ensuring fair, guaranteed prices.

The company's impact extends beyond logistics, increasing the incomes of thousands of fisherfolk by over 15%. Having expanded from Kenya into Tanzania and Uganda, Keep IT Cool is developing Kenya's largest solar-powered cold chain facility to increase its capacity sevenfold. This expansion will allow the company to broaden its scope to include fruits and vegetables, with a long-term goal of improving the livelihoods of 1.6 million people by 2030. The company has secured funding from impact investors like Acumen and the Global Innovation Fund, positioning it for pan-African growth.

Keywords: cold chain logistics, agritech, food waste reduction, sustainable refrigeration, East Africa, fisheries, poultry, smallholder farmers, market access, solar-powered coolers, B2B marketplace, post-harvest loss, supply chain efficiency, last-mile distribution, CaaS, cold chain as a service, food security, climate adaptation, impact investing, social enterprise, Kenya, fish value chain