In 2021, the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) together with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) offered technical advisory to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through a COVID-19 Call for Proposals by AUDA-NEPAD’s Continental Business Network (CBN).

Following the technical advisory offered by AUDA-NEPAD and GIZ support, Cool Lion launched a demonstration site in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire to showcase the product to prospective clients, mobilized USD25.000 grant funding from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Foundation.

The company was selected as one of the 25 finalists of the Milken-Motsepe Prize for which they receive USD10.000to further develop and test their designs. Furthermore, Cool Lion received a EUR261.481 grant from the EU – African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Innovation Fund project on Accelerating Inclusive Green Growth through Agri-based Digital Innovation in West Africa (AGriDI). The Covid-19 Call for proposals offered technical assistance valued at EUR96.500 this comprised of a business plan, financial model, employment action plan, marketing collateral, and an opportunity to present to three prospective investors for business prospects.

Cool Lion is one of the MSMEs selected through a competitive continent-wide process and received technical advisory support to boost and improve its business prospects for investment opportunities. In addition, Cool Lion was selected as pilot project under the Compact with Africa to receive technical assistance to mobilize financing for the project’s implementation, and to carry out an employment analysis.

Cool Lion contributes to eight of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including Zero Hunger by providing access to storage means that minimize food waste and prolong the shelf-life of fresh food, Good Health, and Well-being by reducing respiratory disease-causing black carbon emissions associated with the current method of smoking fish and Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

Cool Lion provides sustainable, cold chain solutions through the fabrication and sale of affordable, solar-powered, refrigerated solar-powered refrigerated containers for social impact. The main target markets are fishing and horticultural produce sellers. To service these markets, Cool Lion offers a range of different container configurations with a choice of power source, temperature, and size, manufactured according to the needs of each customer. Its human-centered design process used inputs from the National Women’s Association of Fishmongering in Côte d’Ivoire (UNSCOFEPCI) which comprises 13 cooperatives and over 1,000 members.