Sustainability is an urgent global challenge that demands our immediate attention. It encompasses the responsible use of resources to meet current needs while ensuring that future generations can thrive. Addressing sustainability is vital for promoting environmental health, social equity, and economic stability across the world. Access to quality, meaningful, easily interpretable, and actionable data is important for monitoring, measuring, and making informed decisions to advance sustainable business practices.
The World Resources Institute (WRI) states that insufficient data on water availability and usage exacerbates water scarcity issues in Africa. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights that data gaps in energy use and efficiency hinder Africa's transition to renewable energy sources. The African Development Bank (AfDB) points out that climate adaptation efforts across Africa are severely hindered by the absence of localized, actionable data.
Addressing a pressing need in the market, The Awareness Company (“TACo”), founded by South African entrepreneurs Priaash, Shazia, and Estelle, aims to bridge the gap between data collection and actionable insights, revolutionizing the way organizations approach sustainability. According to TACo's research, an alarming 90% of companies struggle to report their sustainability metrics in real time, while 77% rely on external consultants to handle their data analytics needs.
The impact of TACo's work is multifaceted, directly contributing to improved operational efficiency, increased energy access, and cost savings for businesses. By providing actionable data insights, TACo empowers organizations to make informed decisions about resource use, to improve and optimize finance, operations and impact. For instance, TACo’s HYDRA platform enables organizations to reduce energy and water consumption by identifying areas of inefficiency, thereby contributing to carbon footprint reduction. Large sites such as farms also use HYDRA to optimize water and energy use, which is crucial in the face of climate change-induced challenges like erratic rainfall and rising temperatures. TACo's solutions have led to a large reduction in carbon emissions, comparable to the environmental impact of deploying thousands of clean cookstoves or electric vehicles.
Beyond environmental benefits, TACo’s impact reaches social and economic dimensions, particularly in vulnerable communities facing climate variability. By providing data-driven insights that boost productivity and resource efficiency, TACo strengthens community resilience and helps secure livelihoods. Its tailored recommendations, adapted to local conditions, empower users to make informed decisions, driving inclusive growth. TACo’s approach not only addresses immediate climate challenges but also ensures long-term sustainability, equipping businesses and communities with the tools to adapt, thrive, and build climate resilience.
TACo's innovative approach lies in its ability to translate complex data into actionable insights through AI-driven storytelling. The HYDRA platform aggregates data from multiple sources, including IoT sensors, drones, and third-party systems, and transforms this data into visualizations and recommendations that are easy to interpret. This approach not only reduces the technical costs associated with sustainability initiatives but also democratizes access to critical data, making it accessible to organizations of all sizes. By leveraging AI, TACo ensures that even non-technical users can benefit from sophisticated data analytics, which is a key differentiator in the competitive landscape of AI for sustainability.
"Since implementing HYDRA, we've seen remarkable improvements in monitoring crop growth, harvest timing, and overall farm management. The daily updates, especially from moisture sensors, have allowed us to fine-tune our irrigation and fertilization techniques, boosting productivity significantly. HYDRA also serves as an invaluable educational tool, demonstrating cutting-edge agritech to our workers on the farm. The ability to effortlessly access profit and loss data for each field, even on a smaller scale, has empowered us to make smarter, data-driven farming decisions." says the Managing Director of one of their customers.
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The growth potential for TACo is substantial, given the expanding global focus on sustainability and climate resilience. The market opportunity, encompassing regions like Africa, the US, and Europe, is estimated to exceed $8.5 billion. TACo’s strategic focus on converting B2B customers engaged in sustainability initiatives could lead to significant market penetration, with a serviceable obtainable market projected at $100 million over the next five years. Moreover, TACo's plans to tap into carbon markets and expand its service offerings further enhance its growth prospects. The company’s robust customer base, and its track record of doubling revenues year-over-year, underscore its potential for scaling both regionally and internationally.
UNIDO supports the Catalyst Fund via the project called, “Acceleration of Financial Technology Enabled Climate Resilience Solutions,” funded by the Global Environment Facility and executed by BFA Global in collaboration with the implementing entity, UNIDO. Operating in five African countries—Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda—the project aims to foster the growth of fintech-enabled climate resilience solutions positively impacting the wellbeing of vulnerable communities.
Our venture-building, with the additional support of UNIDO, will be pivotal in accelerating TACo's growth trajectory by focusing on data-driven experimentation, refining go-to-market strategies, strengthening the climate adaptation rationale, and optimizing operational processes. Additionally, we will assist TACo in developing robust impact measurement frameworks to quantify the value generated across sustainability metrics, including resource efficiency, carbon emission reductions, and social resilience.
Catalyst Fund's investment in The Awareness Company is a strategic decision to back a startup that combines a transformative impact with an innovative approach, while also possessing immense growth potential within the rapidly expanding climate tech sector. With its forward-thinking climate-smart data solutions, TACo is well-positioned to become a market leader, driving sustainability across critical industries and helping shape a more resilient and sustainable future.
Read more from our team at Catalyst Fund
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