Kukua

Solar PV-Powered Poultry Egg Incubator

Kukua Labs, Arusha, Tanzania, 2017-2020

• Product Goal: Increase the reliable income of chicken growing families in Tanzania and beyond

  • Families in TZ wish for "productive-use" solar appliances to generate improved, reliable income streams

  • Solar home system companies in TZ wish for "productive-use" solar appliances to help their customers effectively repay solar loans and move up the "energy ladder"

  • Roughly 70% of families in TZ grow chickens. They're often used as a store of value which can accrue interest or have withdrawals (like a savings account // ATM). Artificial egg incubation increases the rate by which chicken flocks grow making them more resilient to sudden losses

• Co-developed this product with colleagues from Zola Electric, Stanford Extreme Affordability, and Access to Energy Institute (A2EI)

• Went through three major iterations and pilot tests with dozens of chicken growing families. Awarded a major grant in early 2020 to scale up production which was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic