About

We are committed to engineering high-quality products that bring positive change to the world.

WHO ARE WE?

Agsol is an award winning social business that is committed to providing agricultural and energy access solutions to off-grid farming communities across the world. As a social enterprise Agsol keeps its drive for social impact at the core of what it does and commits to reinvest the majority of any profits into furthering its social mission.

Agsol’s core team is supported by a group of consultants for business strategy and commercialisation along with a global network of engineering specialists in brushless DC motors, electronics, firmware, mechanical engineering, product design and manufacturing.

Together the team brings a global mindset to Agsol from a downstream perspective of who our customers are, their needs, and how to deliver life-changing products in emerging markets, to an upstream perspective of how to design cutting-edge products and establish first class manufacturing practices.

AGSOL KENYA TEAM

Matt Carr: CEO & Co-founder
Matt is a renewable energy technical and market access specialist. He has worked at the forefront of energy access throughout the Pacific, Asia and Africa with solar start-ups, international power companies, multi-lateral donors and NGOs. Matt is based in Kenya.

Silard Liptak: CTO
Silard is a power engineering specialist. Before Agsol he worked in 8 countries on 4 continents, including Georgia Tech’s Center for Distributed Energy, where he worked on the Tech-to-Market transfer of ultra-low-cost technologies designed specifically for the developing world. Silard leads Agsol’s product development and manufacturing, is based in Kenya and travels regularly to China.

Julie Orr: CFOO
Julie brings over ten years’ experience in finance and business operations. She is a Chartered Accountant and started her career in management consulting. After 5 years rising through the ranks of Deloitte, Julie moved to East Africa and has spent the past 8 years working with NGOs, social enterprises and SMEs to improve their management, financial control and growth strategies.

Willeke Westra: Partnerships & Growth Manager
Willeke is a business development expert with 10+ years of work experience in East Africa that has focussed on helping social businesses grow their impact. She has a background in communications and a strong track record in negotiating impactful partnerships all over Africa. Willeke is based in Kenya.

Diana Muchunu: Administration & Marketing
Diana has over five years’ experience in finance, administration, and project coordination. She is proficient at developing and implementing cash budgets and managing costs. She supports Agsol in a variety of areas including marketing, procurement, market research and accounting.

Kevin Onyango: Workshop Technician
Kevin has been working with Agsol in various capacities for four years. He has extensive experience in assembling and trouble-shooting an array of agricultural machines. In addition, he has developed a knowledge of photovoltaics and has supported on field trips and with machine testing.

Florence (Joy) Akinyi: Electrical Engineer
Joy is an electrical and telecommunications engineer with a passion for using technology to provide solutions to human problems. She is eager to learn and up-skill, having previously interned at a variety of engineering fields. She aspires to use her skills and expertise in engineering to bring a positive impact to her community.

Dennis Kurgat: Electrical Engineer
Kurgat is an electrical and electronics engineer with a passion to bring solutions to problems in the society. Prior to Agsol, he worked in both Kenya Power and Lighting Company and Rivatex East Africa Limited as an attaché. He is collaborative and always ready to learn new approaches in the engineering and technology field.

Evanson (Evans) Kimani: Workshop Technician

Evans became a member of the Agsol team in 2022 as a factory engineer. His time at Agsol allowed him to share and enhance his proficiency in electrical installations, product testing and assembly. As Agsol continues to expand, Evans’ friendly demeanour has opened doors for him to contribute to field trips and on-site installations.

Mary Njuguna: Testing Assistant
Mary is a soft spoken member of the team who is hard-working and a quick learner in our QC department. She supports with machine testing and ensuring quality of product.

Sylvia Wanyama: Workshop Assistant
Sylvia is a hardworking member of the team who is highly conscious about orderliness and cleanliness. She is responsible for housekeeping in our factory and warehouse and assists with packing and dispatch.

AGSOL CHINA TEAM

On the forefront of innovation, Agsol serves as the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for the pioneering MicroMill. In August 2023, we celebrated the opening of our state-of-the-art factory in Dongguan, China. Here, we possess both the capability and the drive to manufacture thousands of units annually.

Charles Tan: Supply Chain Manager
Charles Tan brings two decades of professional experience to the table, encompassing 16 years in both technical and non-technical sourcing and purchasing roles. His extensive background includes adept project management skills, enabling him to deliver practical solutions. As a results-driven team leader, he excels in business negotiations and possesses excellent communication abilities. Charles Tan is currently stationed at our China factory.

Jackson Mo: Quality Control Manager
Jackson, located in China, brings over 12 years of professional experience to the table. His expertise lies in package development, quality control, and proficient management of temperature controllers and laser measurement tools, as well as manufacturing in slider and PCB.

Helen Zhang: Administration Manager
Helen Zhang has 15+ years of experience in project management and HR & Administration across diverse manufacturing and commercial settings. She’s a trusted business partner known for initiating and executing HR strategies that yield results. Helen excels in communication, coordination, and task-oriented, results-driven work. Currently based at Agsol China factory, she provides part-time support in HR, Administration, and finance during this initial phase.

HISTORY

Agsol was formed in 2016 to build on early successes with “solarising” small agro-processing machines. However, our early work highlighted that retrofitting off-the-shelf machines didn’t produce a viable or scaleable solution. This is because small agricultrual machines are never designed for efficiency, and require oversized and expensive solar systems to run them.

Agsol established itself in Kenya in 2018 and has been striving towards making the most efficient and affordable milling machine ever developed. After 5 years of R&D and market testing, we have achieved that.

DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS

Agsol has carefully chosen distribution partners who offer a mix of technical expertise in solar installations and after- sales support, extensive market coverage, and the flexibility to provide financing options for customers, with a keen focus on empowering female entrepreneurs.

FUNDING PARTNERS

We’ve been fortunate to be supported by some fabulous forward thinking funders that realise efficient, affordable, milling technologies have immense potential for impact, and that developing entirely new innovation like this is complicated and expensive.