A Kenyan company, Keep IT Cool, has been named among the 15 global finalists for the prestigious Earthshot Prize, an award led by Prince William to highlight innovative solutions for environmental challenges. Keep IT Cool, known for its solar-powered refrigeration technology, aims to tackle food spoilage and improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and fishers in Kenya.
The company’s innovative refrigeration units, which reduce post-harvest losses by up to 25%, have earned it recognition in the global fight against climate change. If selected, Keep IT Cool could win £1 million (about Ksh166 million), a prize to be awarded in November during a ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa.
This achievement comes after a competitive selection process that reviewed nearly 2,500 nominations from 139 countries. Keep IT Cool’s technology offers a solution to food waste, a major issue in Kenya, especially for fishers along Lake Victoria who often lose a significant portion of their catch due to lack of cold storage.
Winning the prize could significantly expand Keep IT Cool’s capacity, allowing it to reach more farmers and markets across Kenya and beyond. The company currently works with over 4,500 fishers, saving 25% of their catch from spoilage and increasing their incomes by more than 15%.
The Earthshot Prize, now in its fourth year, aims to find and support the world’s most impactful environmental innovations under five key categories: Clean Our Air, Protect and Restore Nature, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate.
Prince William praised the finalists for their creativity and determination in addressing climate challenges, stating, “The passion of these finalists is a testament to what can be achieved when communities come together with optimism and ingenuity.”
The winners will be announced during Earthshot Week in November, where global leaders, investors, and climate organizations will gather to discuss solutions for the environmental crisis.
