Awards & Recognitions

Recognised by leading global clean energy and entrepreneurship institutions.

Recognition

Awards & Recognitions

AEST's founder and work have been recognised by leading global clean energy and entrepreneurship institutions.

Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award

The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is pleased to announce Betty Ikalany as the winner of the inaugural Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

The EILEEN FISHER Women-Owned Business Grant

Supports innovative, women-owned companies that are beyond the start-up phase.

Women's Empowerment Fund (WEF)

A financing mechanism designed to scale effective business models for empowerment through the clean cooking value chain.

SEED Initiative Awards

The SEED Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development is an annual awards scheme designed to find the most promising, innovative and locally-led start-up eco-inclusive enterprises in countries with developing and emerging economies. The independent SEED International Jury of experts selects enterprises which have the potential to scale.

MIT D-Lab Scale-Ups Fellowships

Three IDIN Network members — Betty Ikalany of Uganda, Julio Lavalle from Peru living in Brazil and Elliot Avila, an MIT alumnus living in Tanzania — were awarded MIT D-Lab Scale-Ups fellowships. The D-Lab Scale-Ups fellowship program offers one year of support to social entrepreneurs bringing technology-based, poverty-alleviating products to market.

African Start-Up Award

Appropriate Energy Saving Technologies (AEST) converts agricultural waste like peanut husks into a readily available and clean source of energy used for cooking, both in institutions and households.

Founder Spotlight

Betty Ikalany

Betty founded AEST in 2012 and has since been recognised internationally for building a clean cooking business that puts women at the centre of its value chain.

Under her leadership AEST has worked with MIT D-Lab to develop its cook stoves, expanded production capacity through the Women's Empowerment Fund, and trained 55 new micro-entrepreneurs.

Meet the Team

Partnership