Mozambican startup Taka Energy, founded by Yury Francisco, has been selected as one of 30 African startups and small and medium-sized enterprises chosen for the Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026, an African Union initiative designed to connect local technology solutions with investors, industrial partners, and markets in order to strengthen the continent’s food and energy autonomy.

The company is the sole Mozambican representative on the list published by the African Union Commission on 12 June, having been selected under the energy sovereignty strand of the programme.

Founded in 2024, Taka Energy converts organic waste from households, schools, markets, and small agricultural holdings into briquettes and biogas. According to its institutional presentation, the company also develops biodigesters and organic fertilisers, seeking to harness waste materials to produce energy and support agricultural activity.

The company aims to reduce dependence on charcoal, lower air pollution, and promote the circular economy in Mozambican communities. These objectives are grounded in the collection and transformation of organic materials into products for domestic and agricultural use.

The Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026 was launched on 11 May by the African Union Commission through its departments responsible for economic development, agriculture, environment, infrastructure, energy, education, science, and technology.

Operating under the motto “Rooted and Powered in Resilience”, the initiative seeks to support African technologies capable of addressing the continent’s needs and scaling their production.

Selection criteria include innovation, economic viability, expansion potential, socioeconomic impact, and the execution capacity of teams. Applicants were required to present at least prototypes demonstrated under relevant conditions of use, or solutions already present in the market.

The programme envisages facilitating contacts with investors, development finance institutions, companies, and governments, as well as supporting access to markets and public procurement opportunities.

On the energy side, eligible solutions include renewable energy, energy efficiency, electric mobility, bioenergy, and waste-to-fuel conversion. The food component covers technologies for agricultural production, processing, preservation, storage, and water management.

In its selection announcement, the AU also indicated that participating companies would take part in the African Business Summit and be featured in the Africa Food & Energy Sovereignty 2026 catalogue, as means of promoting commercial contacts and raising the profile of their solutions.

For Taka Energy, inclusion in the programme opens an opportunity to seek financing and partnerships to scale up production. The selection does not, however, constitute the announcement of a secured investment or contract.

Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=552559