PIC CAPTION: Co-founder and CEO, Sabrine Chennaoui got an idea to start MonSapo, a cleantech startup when she decided to solve a challenging problem about how to reuse cooking oil so it doesn't contaminate the environment. Image: Supplied / MonSapo.
The cleantech sector is making waves within the global tech ecosystem as the global cleantech market reached a market value of $1.3 trillion this year, and it is projected to reach a market value of $1.4 trillion by 2032. A Tunisian greentech startup, MonSapo is busy turning the cooking oil market on its head with its innovative flagship product that can transform used cooking oil into high quality, sustainable cleaning products. Sabrine Chennaoui, MonSapo co-founder and CEO, speaks to AfricArena’s Jabulile Sonya Ngwenya about what makes her startup successful.
Over 220 million metric tons of vegetable oil is produced annually worldwide. Once used, cooking oil becomes an environmental hazard. Did you know that 1 litre of oil can pollute one million litres of fresh water? Let's break it down further. Just one drop of discarded oil can pollute 100 litres of fresh water. Now that is a problem. An African bred startup, MonSapo has come up with an innovative solution to transform used cooking oil into natural, biodegradable cleaning products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Chennaoui tells AfricArena that MonSapo’s flagship product, its SapoCircle machine “integrates cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence and IoT sensors, to optimize the transformation of used cooking oil into natural cleaning products.”
Thrilled at winning the AfricArena Best Clean Tech Startup Award in Nairobi, Chennaoui who is passionate about solving real-world problems and driving change through innovative cleantech solutions, says “the win has made a significant difference for MonSapo. It provided us with immense validation, not just for our product, but for our overall business model and mission. The award has elevated our visibility within the cleantech and startup ecosystems, opening doors to potential investors, strategic partners and key industry players who are aligned with our sustainability goals.”
“The exposure from the award has helped us gain credibility and build trust with potential clients and stakeholders, further accelerating our growth. It has also reinforced our belief that our innovative solution—transforming used cooking oil into natural cleaning products—has a place in the global sustainability movement, motivating our team to push forward with even more confidence.”
Chennaoui, who co-founded MonSapo with her co-founder and CTO Hatem Hamdi, no tells AfricArena, says she is passionate about what she does because “MonSapo combines two things that matter deeply to me: protecting the environment and creating a positive impact through innovation. The idea of transforming something as harmful as used cooking oil into a valuable resource like eco-friendly cleaning products speaks to the heart of sustainability, turning waste into opportunity.”
She tells AfricArena that “the ability to integrate technology, like AI and machine learning, into our solutions adds another layer of excitement. We are not only working on an environmental issue but also pushing the boundaries of innovation in recycling and sustainability. This mix of purpose and progress keeps me deeply passionate about MonSapo’s mission.”
The inspiration for MonSapo, she says, “came from a deep concern for both environmental sustainability and the impact of harmful cleaning products on health. I noticed the growing problem of used cooking oil being improperly disposed of, polluting water and damaging ecosystems, and saw an opportunity to transform this waste into something valuable: eco-friendly cleaning products.”
“I was inspired by my grandmother’s traditional methods of using natural ingredients for cleaning. Her approach sparked my desire to merge this sustainable, natural practice with modern technology to create a scalable, impactful solution.” She continues, “the concept for my startup evolved as I realized the potential of combining advanced technologies, such as AI and IoT with this traditional method. This led to the creation of SapoCircle, a machine that not only recycles used cooking oil, but also contributes to reducing chemical pollution, creating jobs and promoting sustainable practices across industries like hospitality.”
SapoCircle is a compact 1.5m³ machine that functions like a laundry machine and is capable of transforming 1,000 litres of used cooking oil into 4,000 litres of clean, natural biodegradable cleaning products. It is a game changer as it enables consumers to produce their own natural cleaning products from the convenience of their private and business premises.
The beauty of the SapoCircle product, says Chennaoui, is that it makes use of AI-driven optimization, making use of AI algorithms to analyze a variety of data inputs; IoT integration that allows people to monitor the entire process remotely from a centralized dashboard; customizable capsules that contain enzymes and other additives which can be selected and adjusted in a modular approach based on AI recommendations to match cleaning needs that enhances the effectiveness of the cleaning products and minimizes waste and it has remote management capabilities that allow it to be controlled and monitored remotely which is beneficial for ensuring continuous production without constate on-site supervision.
Chennaoui says the time invested in building and scaling out her innovative cleaning solution is already paying dividends in just a few short years after conceptualizationin 2020 and launch in 2021. “The pandemic essentially gave me the time and space to ensure that when we launched, our strategy was well thought out, and our product—SapoCircle—was aligned with the growing demand for sustainable innovations.” Chennaoui clearly remembers the day she realised she was on to something. “The defining moment came when I realized the alarming scale of the environmental damage caused by the improper disposal of used cooking oil. I came across shocking statistics about how much oil ends up in waterways, polluting oceans and harming marine life. At the same time, I saw a growing awareness around sustainability, but very few solutions directly addressing this problem at scale.”
She shares that while she conducted research, she discovered how harmful traditional cleaning products were to both people’s health and wellbeing and to the environment. “It became clear to me that there was a need for a solution that could tackle both the waste problem and provide safer, eco-friendly alternatives to conventional cleaning products. The turning point was when I connected these two issues: instead of treating used cooking oil as waste, we could transform it into a valuable resource—natural cleaning products. This realization confirmed that MonSapo could fill a critical gap in the market by offering a circular economy solution that addressed both environmental and health concerns.”
Proud of how far her startup has come since inception, Chennaoui who says she can be found carrying out a “dynamic mix of strategy, operations, business development, team collaboration and research and learning on any given day,” says the largest amount of funds MonSapo has raised to date is €192,000.
These funds were “allocated to several key areas, including the prototyping and beta testing of our SapoCircle machine, expanding our team, scaling our marketplace operations. It also helped us conduct in-depth research into AI and machine learning strategies for optimizing our recycling process and supported the validation of our cleaning product formulations. This funding has been pivotal in pushing MonSapo toward commercialization and growth.”
MonSapo aims to raise €1.2 million during 2024 to accelerate MonSapo’s growth and expansion, with funds being deployed towards the industrialization of SapoCircle; research and development, technology enhancement, market expansion, team growth and marketing and sales.
At times, the best advice comes for free. Chennaoui shares that the best piece of advice a mentor gave her was to “focus on solving real problems, and the money will follow." This advice has helped Chennaoui and her team stay focused and attract the right partners, customers and investors with an emphasis on value creation over short term gains.
Building a cleantech startup is not without challenges. One of these challenges Chennaoui outlines is “navigating the cleantech industry’s complexities, especially in terms of developing and scaling innovative technology like our SapoCircle machine which includes prototyping and technical challenges. Developing a machine that can effectively recycle used cooking oil into natural cleaning products required significant R&D investment. Early on, we faced technical challenges in ensuring the machine's efficiency and the consistency of the product formulations. We addressed these issues by collaborating with experts and partners, such as Novecal and the Paris Saclay Hardware Accelerator, which provided the technical support and resources necessary to refine the prototype.”
She advises budding cleantech founders to solve a real problem in a way that delivers real value and meaningful impact, think long-term and cultivate patience, leverage technology, build strategic partnerships, understand regulations and compliance, focus on impact and sustainability and start lean and iterate.
The future looks bright for MonSapo, with plans to scale their impact and expand their presence globally as SapoCircle undergoes commercialization, AI and machine learning integration into the business and geographic expansion beyond Tunisia and France into Saudi Arabia, UAE and the broader African markets.
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