Pictured: Sandra Namboozo and Samuel Muyita.

Milken Institute: Tell us about your team.

Sandra Namboozo: Our core team met while still students at Makerere University in Uganda. With our versatile background in engineering and biochemistry, we went head on to form the company because we believed we could change the world for the better. And even though we’re from different disciplines and communities, backgrounds, and experiences, we share similarities. We know that by tapping into our interests, relationships, skills, and passion, we can support our communities and impact our climate by reducing food waste as a result of the low shelf life of fruits and vegetables. We believe in teamwork. That’s why we are working together to build the next global unicorn.

What inspired you to participate in the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech? What do you hope to gain from this experience?

Many entrepreneurs lack the information and tools they need to bring their invention to life. In addition to the chance to win cash prizes, the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Program provides a rich set of opportunities for entrepreneurs. The Online Community involved team matchmaking and resources for entrepreneurs.

In addition to this, the Certificate Program, where teams will receive a 12-week experiential learning program, is powered by the Stanford Center for Professional Development Idea to Market curriculum. Upon completion of the program, teams will receive a Certificate of Completion. This also greatly inspired us to participate in the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech.

How will your concept increase economic value to farmers in Africa?

Karpolax produces tailor-made sachets using nanotechnology to help increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. We are currently focused on mangoes in the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech, but we are looking into having sachets and products for the other fruits and vegetables. Mangoes, being climacteric fruits, ripen when they are off the tree because water gets out and oxygen gets inside the fruit.

Karpolax has developed polymers, which, when put into the sachet, help amplify the natural mechanism within fruits, helping them stay fresh longer and with peak nutrient quality. They work by inhibiting the release of the enzyme phospholipase D, which is responsible for senescence. These polymers are naturally occurring, and the relevant ratios are patented. With our offering to farmers, they are able to sell off their produce at the best market price and realize a higher economic value of their produce.

What sets you apart from other teams in this competition?

Karpolax brought together team members who had similar pain points, and this makes us unique. Each of the core team members relates greatly with food waste and has great passion to reduce food waste through the use of nanotechnology. While offering a longer shelf life than any of our competitors globally, we feel that this gives us an advantage over other teams in this competition.