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Ugandan tech startup Innovex inks a multimillion-dollar deal with Swiss OEM Ennos for IoT technology and manufacturing of solar-powered water pumps with remote monitoring and payment capabilities.
KAMPALA, Uganda — Ugandan tech startup Innovex has secured a deal worth tens of millions of dollars with Ennos, a Swiss original equipment manufacturer known for its Sunlight Pumps, to provide Internet of Things (IoT) technology and electronics manufacturing services, the companies announced Saturday.
Under the five-year agreement, Innovex will supply its “Remot” IoT technology and manufacture electronic components, including circuit boards, for Ennos’ solar-powered water pumps. The embedded technology will enable distributors to remotely track each pump’s location, usage, and operational status. Crucially, the system allows for remote deactivation of pumps in cases of payment default.
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Douglas Baguma, Innovex’s chief executive officer, said the remote monitoring capability addresses a key barrier to financing solar solutions. “Before, banks and other lenders were reluctant to finance solar solutions because it was hard to trace the systems once deployed. If someone defaulted, there was often nothing you could do,” Baguma told AP. “This kind of remote monitoring gives confidence to financiers.”
The ability to remotely manage and monitor the pumps opens opportunities for credit-based deployments, addressing the challenge of cash-strapped customers in remote areas with difficult road infrastructure, Baguma explained. “With Uganda’s tough road infrastructure, it’s nearly impossible for companies based in Kampala to service clients in far-flung areas like Arua, West Nile, or Soroti,” he said. “Many businesses have struggled or shut down because they couldn’t physically support customers post-sale. That’s what we’re solving.”
Beyond the IoT software, Ennos has also contracted Innovex to manufacture the circuit boards for the Sunlight Pump, which Baguma described as “the brain of the product.” The agreement is structured as a long-term supply and technology localization partnership based on confirmed and projected purchase orders.
The partnership also has potential implications for Africa’s emerging carbon credit market by providing a self-reporting system. “The biggest problems with carbon credits are validation and verification,” Baguma said. “Our system is self-reporting. The moment a pump is switched on, it starts generating data and uploads it to the cloud. That data can be used to calculate carbon credits without any guesswork.” The aggregation of data from numerous small devices could allow smaller projects to qualify for carbon credit payments.
The impact of IoT-powered solar pumps is being felt in Uganda’s agricultural sector, where erratic rainfall patterns are challenging farmers. Pidson Abaho, operations manager at Sprinktech Limited, a Ugandan distributor of solar-powered irrigation systems, said farmers are increasingly relying on irrigation due to climate change. “There have been wild fluctuations in rainfall. Long dry spells, unpredictable planting seasons… It’s no longer business as usual for farmers,” Abaho said.
Sprinktech has been working with Innovex and Ennos to deploy these systems, which allow farmers to irrigate during dry spells and remotely monitor pump activity. While the initial cost of the systems can be high, support from organizations like the Uganda Energy Credit Capitalisation Company (UECC) has provided discounts to farmers.
Dr. Monica Musenero, Uganda’s Science, Technology and Innovation minister, said the technology aligns with the government’s push to modernize agriculture. “This fits into our development priorities,” Musenero told AP. “We are ramping up agro-productivity through the Parish Development Model (PDM), but water remains a major limiting factor.” She highlighted the affordability and flexible payment options enabled by the IoT technology as key benefits.
Musenero envisions shared usage models for smallholder farmers to further expand access to the technology. She plans to present the model to government agencies working on water-for-production initiatives.
Innovex anticipates producing and deploying over 100,000 IoT-enabled controllers by 2030, featuring its REMOT platform for remote monitoring, real-time analytics, and pay-as-you-go functionality.
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