Mega Green Accelerator: Tunisia-Born Kumulus Water Aims To Address The Issue Of Inaccessible And Unsustainable Drinking Water "Kumulus Water's AWG machines reduce reliance on bottled water, mitigating plastic waste and carbon dioxide emissions along the way."
By Tamara Pupic
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The Mega Green Accelerator is an initiative by PepsiCo, one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, SABIC, a Riyadh-headquartered global diversified chemicals company, and 12 other strategic partners. In its inaugural 2024 edition, it selected eight startups to participate in the program, including P-Vita, an Egypt-based biotechnology hub.
It was by observing nature that Iheb Triki got the idea to co-found Kumulus Water, a Tunisia-born company that aims to revolutionize water access by creating what he describes as "clean drinking water as a service." It was in the Tunisian desert that he noticed dew clinging to his tent at dawn, which served as proof that there was water even in the harshest environments. In that moment, he realized that water can indeed be accessible even in the most remote and challenging environments if there was a way to capture the moisture in the air, and convert it into safe drinking water. "With an aim to address the issue of inaccessible and unsustainable drinking water, our company uses atmospheric water generators (AWG) to transform air into potable water, which is more accessible, sustainable, and economical," he explains. "Kumulus Water's AWG machines thus reduce reliance on bottled water, mitigating plastic waste and carbon dioxide emissions along the way."
Since launching Kumulus Water in 2021, Triki has grown it to have 15 employees as well as EUR1.7 million (US$1.86 million) in equity funding, and he now aims to positioning it as a sustainable alternative to traditional water sources in the MENA and Southern European regions. "Kumulus is targeting markets in Tunisia, Morocco, France, and Spain, focusing on business-to-business clients, such as hotels, eco-lodges, factories, and offices with corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives," he says. "For that, we are currently raising a EUR2.5 million ($2.73 million) pre-Series A round in order to ramp up production, and push sales in Southern Europe and the MENA region."
To date, Kumulus Water has received a number of industry accolades,including the first prize for startups specializing in the water sector and being selected as one of the 15 most promising greentech startups in Africa at the 2022 edition of Vivatech, a technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups that is held annually in Paris.
Source: Kumulus Water
Now, having been selected to be a part of the Mega Green Accelerator program, Triki expects that it will further aid efforts in scaling the business, improving market presence, overcoming logistical and environmental challenges, and other hurdles that Kumulus Water might be facing as a sustainable business in the MENA region. That said, Turki remains quite optimistic about the future for Kumulus Water in the region, with him saying, "The sustainability sector in the region, and especially Tunisia, holds a lot of potential for innovation and development."
Related: Mega Green Accelerator: Saudi Arabia-Based Ahya Helps Enterprises Achieve Net-Zero With Accuracy, Transparency, And Environmental Robustness
'TREP TALK Kumulus Water's Iheb Triki shares his tips for entrepreneurs in the sustainability domain
Focus on innovation "Develop unique solutions that address local sustainability challenges."
Be resourceful "Utilize available resources and networks to strengthen the business."
Adapt to market needs "Be flexible and responsive to the specific demands of the target market."
Make use of partnerships "Collaborate with other businesses and organizations to enhance impact."
Remain committed to sustainability "Ensure that the business model genuinely supports environmental and economic sustainability."
