Waste management AI, machine vision and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions developer Dragonfly has won the 2024 Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) GreenPitch Challenge.

The early-stage company leverages these technologies to enable waste management companies to measure and manage their operations and drive efficiencies within the waste sector, thereby improving the quality of recycled materials going back into the circular economy and significantly reducing the amount of waste ending up in landfill.

The FNF GreenPitch Challenge is a partnership between civic education nonprofit FNF and green economy nonprofit GreenCape.

The runner-up was AERO Greens, which manufactures sustainable, soilless vertical-farming systems housed in shipping containers. Its approach uses aeroponics to reduce water use by 98% compared to traditional farming.

By integrating renewable energy and advanced biomimicry-inspired cooling systems, AERO Greens' systems ensure year-round, high-quality crop production with minimal environmental impact, GreenCape said in a statement.

The People’s Pick award for the 2024 Challenge, which was chosen through an audience voting poll, was electric vehicle and motorcycle distributor Silence SA. Silence is a European manufacturer of electric motorcycles and electric vehicles, and its Silence Smart Rent provides rental solutions.

Each of the companies wins a share of a cash prize sponsored by venture capital division RMB Ventures. The challenge's other sponsors include Pulse Digital, Green Connexion, Thinkroom, AltGen and The Ethical Agency.

“The winners represent some of the most brilliant minds in green innovation. This initiative provides a crucial platform for our green entrepreneurs. We are impressed by the diverse and inventive solutions presented, each addressing critical environmental challenges through creative approaches,” said FNF South Africa programme manager Kwezi Sogoni.

“This green economy competition grew from being a Cape Town-based competition to a national one. We support the green economy and are involved with educating and inspiring the finalists to grow their businesses and, ultimately, our economy through this initiative,” said RMB Ventures private equity professional Ewan Gray.

Meanwhile, among the other top ten companies that received awards is agribusiness platform EsusFarm, which empowers smallholder farmers in Africa by integrating blockchain-based weather index insurance to mitigate climate risks and improve crop yields.

Khepri Waste to Feed, which produces insect-based meal and chitin and is launching various fertiliser products, was another of the top ten companies. The company's focus includes developing onsite waste bioconversion units and paper-based bovine feed in collaboration with top institutions, GreenCape said.

Similarly, Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Treatment Jet Loop Reactor was one of the top ten companies. The company makes batch systems for treatment of AMD using South African Coal Fly Ash in a Jet Loop Reactor.

Further, AGR-smart tech specialises in producing sensors for the agriculture industry. It designs and manufactures equipment leveraging technology and automation to improve efficiency and sustainability for farmers, agricultural businesses and food producers in South Africa.

Energy management company Spectrogen & Robometre uses AI and machine learning technologies to provide energy management systems that are designed to optimise power distribution, enhance operational efficiency and reduce environmental impact. It was also one of the top ten companies of the 2024 FNF GreenPitch Challenge.

Crislor Environmental's Biorem Bricks release beneficial microbes into polluted water bodies, streams, canals and rivers as part of a bioremediation and bio-augmentation process. The company, also one of the top ten companies, is finalising the specifications, design and components of its cost-effective, labour-intensive, easy-to-apply and versatile "brick" system.