[
  {
    "start": 0.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: So what happens is You find out after fish processing because all these huge fish which come go for processing. after processing, after filleting or filleting, find out only 40 % is taken in for Approximately 60 to is being thrown. So for each and every fish which comes for processing. a lot goes into waste Sea Ventures saw a gap in the post-harvest losses in the fishing industry, whereby we are trying to come up with solutions and tap into targeted wastes in the fishing industry. We saw a gap which was not targeted because 60 to 70 percent of our fish goes into waste and only 30 to 40 percent is taken in ⁓ either during fish processing or in consumption. So when I was in, I am a marine biologist by profession. So when I was in the fishing industry, I would see what used to be thrown into the landfills and which was valuable and could be reutilized for something else.",
    "end": 140.0
  },
  {
    "start": 140.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: just have to make sure I get that right. So we're sitting here in Mombasa. It has a huge port and every day they're coming fisher boats in and 60 to 70 percent of the fish that comes in is normally going to waste.",
    "end": 158.0
  },
  {
    "start": 158.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Yes. So what happens is You find out after fish processing because all these huge fish which come go for processing. after processing, after filleting or filleting, find out only 40 % is taken in for consumption. Approximately 60 to 70 is being thrown. So for each and every fish which comes for processing. a lot goes into waste",
    "end": 181.0
  },
  {
    "start": 181.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: just to be specific, when you say it goes to waste, what does that mean? What happens?",
    "end": 185.0
  },
  {
    "start": 185.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Yes, so what happens is we do have the collection points which is taken to the dumping site. So it is collected and one challenge we're having in Mombasa is that the organic waste is quite huge as compared to inorganic waste. So after the collection of this organic waste it is taken to the main dumping site for either recycling or maybe being dumped there.",
    "end": 213.0
  },
  {
    "start": 213.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: Okay, so this is where the birds then get their fillet. Exactly. Okay. And so that means right now you offer an alternative solution to that waste stream.",
    "end": 225.0
  },
  {
    "start": 225.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Yes, right now we are offering that solution whereby we are trying to solve some problems which we saw in the fishing industry. One being the post-harvest losses. Second, also in the agriculture sector, the scarcity of animal feeds. And also the third one being economic problems by lack of jobs and also environmental problems. Because when this waste goes into the landfills, They produce methane gas and this also adds up into the carbon waste and also the GFS gases.",
    "end": 264.0
  },
  {
    "start": 264.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: Let's look at the farmers again. You said there's a scarcity of animal feed. Is it like there's not enough there for a certain price or is it depends on the region? So how does the scarcity look like?",
    "end": 278.0
  },
  {
    "start": 278.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Yes, so I would say here in Kenya, statistics which have been taken before, 40 % is achieved by producing 22 million metric tons. Kenya requires 55 million metric tons of animal feed annually and only 40 % is achieved by providing 22 million metric tons, leaving a gap of that 3 million metric tons. So you can see the gap of animal feeds in Kenya. We require more. We have been importing, which is also not sustainable and quite expensive. As we see that we have scarcity of animal feeds, currently here in Kenya, the prices have also shoot high because of cost of production, leaving a gap of where farmers do not have much because also the production is also not enough. So I would say, It is a big challenge. It is a crisis here in Kenya. We are importing and we would really like to tap in the methods or maybe the processes which you could do and produce for our own and also target also the West sector because it is going to integrate two sectors, the fishing sector by upcycling that through circular economy model to come up with a feed which can be used in the agriculture sector. So we feel like it is a solution which is going to help both the fishermen and also the farmers.",
    "end": 366.0
  },
  {
    "start": 366.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: And when we talk about farmers, already mentioned at the beginning, you have certain kind of products. So what are the main, let's say animals, your product is feeding?",
    "end": 377.0
  },
  {
    "start": 377.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Yes, so our main animal feeds include the chicken feeds. We are targeting the poultry industry, the fish farmers, the fish feeds for the fish farmers, whereby we are targeting the aquaculture sector. And we are adding to the pet sector because we get a lot of quality wastes, which is like the guts. the also the the skeletons. So we would also like to make things for the cats and also for the dogs. We have tried the pigs, the pig feet, which we are using it for the livestock for the pigs to be fed by.",
    "end": 416.0
  },
  {
    "start": 416.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: When you say you even supply the fish farmers, ⁓ that sounds like for a circular economist, it sounds like that you can even close a small loop there that the fish waste from these farmers kind of goes back into your product. Is this already happening?",
    "end": 435.0
  },
  {
    "start": 435.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Yes, it is happening. Currently, because we have been fish farmers too, we also get something from them, whatever they can fillet, they can do filleting and also return to us. So it is going to be a closed loop whereby we are not only offering also the feeds after we get from circular economy model. We are also focusing on training them and do something like ⁓ we do a sustainable. fish farming, sustainable agriculture and sustainable poultry farming. So it is a closed group whereby if one as the West, we are willing to take it and they also earn something from the rest, whereby we pay for it for some amount of fee. So as much as we are working with the fish processing companies with the fish shamel and also we call them mamakarangas, the fish vendors. who are here in the coastal region in the upcycling of this fish waste, we collect with them, yes, but also for the farmers. We are also targeting them whereby after they do the process of raiding the fish, we can also acquire the wastes after filleting if they get any wastes.",
    "end": 510.0
  },
  {
    "start": 510.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: And you already mentioned the aspect of fees. I get that the farmers pay you for buying the animal feed. Do you have to pay the fishing industry to get the waste or are they paying you to pick up the waste?",
    "end": 519.0
  },
  {
    "start": 519.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Yes, yes. So in some cases in the fishermen, the artisan of fishermen, we try to pay them so that we can acquire the waste to give them a token whereby we feel like it is a motivation for them to see the value of waste. And in other cases whereby we are getting the fish processors, some also give a little bit of token by paying us back. But most of this waste, it's quite valuable that you will buy it because you can also feed it. When they do filleting, it's quite valuable that they can also resell to the fish vendors, but now nobody can target in that. So that is where we are coming in. Most of this waste, we tend to buy at a small amount of fee, which is agreed on the basis of how we are going to get it and how far it is. But I would say that... ⁓ we tend to motivate them and show them the value of the wastes. So it is not just going in like we're just getting for free. Some give us for free. Some also pay us for taking, but also we also pay them, especially the artisan of fishermen so that they can earn a living. On the other hand of farmers, we tend to sell to them because the process of doing the the feeds, it's quite a little bit expensive. It's complex because it includes things like formulation, which also we have to go an extra mile of buying other raw materials, mixing it and also acquire a complete quality feed or maybe a full balanced feed. So I would say they tend to buy from us so that we can also have some money to buy also the waste.",
    "end": 632.0
  },
  {
    "start": 632.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: And let's stick to numbers or relations. Can you give us an idea how big Sea Ventures is right now?",
    "end": 639.0
  },
  {
    "start": 639.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: I would say we, as I give out the numbers, I would say we are not so big because we are a startup. I like to say it as we have been a startup here in Mombasa. We have been operating approximately almost three years now since we started in 2023. And the numbers have been growing each and each and every day. So whereby we started doing like a one turn, two turns, but now we are currently, we are doing 10 turns a month. which can annually can go up to 60 to 120 tons depending on seasons, depending also on how the collection is. This is only subject and limited to equipment and machineries because currently we are doing some installation of machines. We have been growing slowly. I would say it has also helped us to reach somewhere. But now I would say we are doing more than 10 tons in the near future whereby Currently we're machines after installations. We would be able to do more than 60 turns even in a month.",
    "end": 703.0
  },
  {
    "start": 703.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: Okay, nice. Good growth. And you also said that you have, of course, the food waste, the fish waste as one resource stream and then you need to add some other elements. What's the rough ratio? So is it 80 % of the waste or 60?",
    "end": 722.0
  },
  {
    "start": 722.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: I would say because we are using it across all our feeds, percentage of most of the use of the fish waste is quite high as compared to the other ingredients. But we do a full formulation. We follow the standards required for making feeds. It's not just something to feed. So we tend to follow the standards required by our Kenya Bureau of Standards and also the requirement of our feed. So we tend to follow the formulation, we tend to follow the regulations, and we tend to follow the standards to come up with a whole balance with each and every ingredient having each percentage. It's a little bit complex. would like to, I would not like to explain a little of it, but I would say that a lot is really used because using 10 tons in a month because the dream is small amount of machineries. Now we are going to do with the commercial machines we have acquired. So I would say a lot will be processed.",
    "end": 788.0
  },
  {
    "start": 788.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: And let's stick to the process. So can you walk us through what happens after you pick up a fish?",
    "end": 796.0
  },
  {
    "start": 796.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: So I'll take you through the process whereby it starts by collection from several coins in the coastal region of Kenya, especially Mombasa, Kilifi, we are getting some. We do have groups whereby we have groups of beach management units whereby they store the fish waste. After that we do collect from them, we transport it to our facility. whereby processing starts, whereby by drying, sorting, crushing, mixing, also formulation comes in. Then after formulation, we do the mixing, we also do the grading. Then after that, we do the pelletizing. We have some which we do in pellet form. And now it is packaged and sold to the farmers. Yes, so the process just involves the... From the supply point of the fish processors, fishermen and also beach management units, transport to our facility and then now the processing starts from there.",
    "end": 856.0
  },
  {
    "start": 856.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: And how long does it take in terms of days?",
    "end": 860.0
  },
  {
    "start": 860.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Yes, in terms of days, it depends on the collection. In three to four days, we are able to collect from each and every point whereby we have the points we have put in. We would also like to make it more technical and make it more like coming and bringing technology inside because we want also to map those places to be easier for us to collect easily. So I would say it takes approximately three days. But currently we didn't have some of the machines which were required for drying because we are picking something which is dry. We have been having fishermen sun drying for us once they get the sun dry. But for the fish processing companies, we just pick and we dry it by ourselves. ⁓",
    "end": 905.0
  },
  {
    "start": 905.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: How long does the final product last and does it have to be consumed within a few days?",
    "end": 912.0
  },
  {
    "start": 912.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: takes six months for now. It is well preserved. You can store it in a cold dry place.",
    "end": 919.0
  },
  {
    "start": 919.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: Okay. And you mentioned at the beginning there's also the social dimension ⁓ and you mentioned also training. Training the farmers. Is this what you mean by the social dimension or is there something else?",
    "end": 934.0
  },
  {
    "start": 934.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: I would say our process involves we have really targeted women. We are really bringing in a lot of women because one side we feel a lot of all benefit are the men, especially the fishermen. It is on the fisheries sector we are really working with men and on the other side of the farmers we are really targeting women. On the processing, parts are introduced whereby we are going to collect, we are going to dry, we are really putting in women. the women who are in the communities, we are really targeting the community, whereby we're bringing them women in to drive for us, to collect for us, so that they can also earn a living from the same. So our social impact, which we have created so far, one in the agriculture sector, we have been working with groups of women, whereby we are training them on the sustainable farming, it is aquaculture farming, poultry farming. So we training them on how to do it sustainably, to make it more sustainable. And also on the other part, we are trying to help them get the products. Whereby, scarce here in Kenya, they're getting the products from the same. So our social impacts ⁓ targets two grounds. The one for the community in the fisheries sector, having the fishermen, and also bringing that impact on working with the fishermen in the collection of the fish waste. and also the farmers on the other side. We are training them on the sustainable fish farming and also training them on how to collect and also on how to live from the same.",
    "end": 1028.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1028.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: I really love this social ambition and you're not the first one here in Kenya that integrates that. just let me ask the question again, I mean you're a startup, you're active since two years and you're already integrating this social dimension, even educating your customers. Why are you doing that?",
    "end": 1052.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1052.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Yes, why we do that because ⁓ especially in the fish farming, the pottery farming, a little bit, a little bit, they have knowledge, they have been trained already. But in the fish farming, we have a very big challenge because as much as you're offering these, these feeds to them, they do not know how to run the farming, especially the fish farming. It's a little bit complex. So we... Being a marine biologist, I really do understand how they're doing it. ⁓ And I tend to use my knowledge, even with my partner, I bring in my partner, we go train them on how to do them. Because one of the problem we are facing is that you can offer them the feeds and they will not have to acquire the table size weight of the fish to sell. So they won't get the market easily. So we are coming in to them. to give them the feeds, to show them how to do it because we want them not just to buy from us, but also tend to make money from the same, tend to earn a living from the same. Because we already have the knowledge, we are helping them to target in that by advising them on how to they can do. This happens after we sell to them, we do follow-ups. So after following up, we come to your pond, maybe you're doing a pond size. then we work with you, we tend to tell you what to do. We also bring some experts on the SEM, on the fisheries, to tell you what to do. So we feel like it's not much for us, but we feel we should do it so that they can also benefit from the SEM. Because you can keep giving them the feed and the feeds are not performing. They'll feel like the feed is not performing. But yet the fish is not growing because of the maybe lack of other essential things they require.",
    "end": 1159.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1159.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: It sounds like you say it's not much for you, but it's essential for the farmers and it's kind of telling them how to run their operations and their business. Do you charge for that?",
    "end": 1171.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1171.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: No, no, that one we are doing it by ourselves. It is like our after surfaces what we can offer from our company because the fish feeds are quite a little bit expensive as compared to the poultry feeds. So as they're buying and they're not getting something from the same, they're not making money, the next time they won't come again to buy. So we want to retain them, we want to make it circular, we want to make it... like something which is continuous, something which is sustainable. We want also them to earn something from the same. I would really, really show up what we're doing with them. We have a group in Sousa. We have partnered with them recently, whereby we even have environmental talks. We go plant the mangroves because they're on the creeks and return to train them at the same time. Nice. Yeah.",
    "end": 1225.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1225.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: Nice. Now we kind of got a good overview ⁓ of SeaWentures. What are the challenges you face right now?",
    "end": 1232.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1232.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Yes, would say challenges are there as entrepreneurs and also being a woman in the manufacturing. It is really challenging finding all men on the road. So I also do have a partner to bring in a partner inside who is called Collin Sniabu, whom we are working together in this project. So the challenges which are there is one being capital, which is always maybe funds. which is always a big challenge to each and every startup and maybe business or entrepreneur. One of the biggest challenge of the capital is that we require equipment, require machines. The process requires transportation. We require money to transport this. So currently we have been supported by several organizations like AACF. We have also worked with Close the Gap and Formouse Fund. So for the African Entrepreneurs Challenge Fund, the AIACF really supported us on the equipment. But you find out a big challenge in it is the capital to start, the machines to buy, working capital too. So money is a big problem and also a drawback for the SEM. The second challenge we're facing, it is the regulations and also the policies put in certifications of these feeds. So being in Kenya, we are facing a lot in the certification part. You have to comply, you have to get a lot of certifications, which is also a challenge because you have to incur for the both of the same. As much as you're going to meet the standards required, you must also be certified for the same. This is a big challenge into the side of the government. The other challenge we are facing in Kenya would also say it is taxes and the government. We have policies in cost and the taxes imposed, which also make the production process also quite a challenge. Having utilities has also been a challenge.",
    "end": 1356.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1356.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: Are Are these specific taxes for this industry or are these the general taxes?",
    "end": 1363.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1363.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: We are in general taxes, but we have also specific taxes for the licenses required. Okay. Buying of these raw materials, are also taxed. Yeah. So it is also a challenge being on the SEM. But we're still doing it as we go. The other challenges I would say we have also dealt with, they were technical, but we have dealt with them as far as now it's concerned.",
    "end": 1390.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1390.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: Okay. And when we now look into the future, where do you see C Ventures in three years from now?",
    "end": 1397.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1397.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: In three years. I would say in three years we will be fully settled in the supply and feed nationwide. Having good processing plant, a big huge one. And also in the fourth to fifth year, though starting from the third year, we would really like to target East Africa and supply feeds to them coming from the organic waste. On the other part of the fisheries, I feel like we will really have worked with them Bringing circular economy being the big thing here in the organic sector. We will be working with so many fish processing companies and so many fishermen. We will work together in upcycling of the fish waste into animal feeds. We will be doing tons and tons, or maybe metric tons of the same.",
    "end": 1446.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1446.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: I can already see that happening.",
    "end": 1448.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1448.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Okay, thank you, thank you. That's really a dream to us and we hope it comes true. We're really motivated and we really also want to make like an impact into the blue economy in Kenya. It's a big upcoming thing, but we feel like something also needs to be done. We need also to tap the untapped opportunities and do something which can also help us reach the formula.",
    "end": 1474.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1474.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: Yeah. So who are the kind of people that might listen right now who can support you on this journey? Who are you looking forward to partner with?",
    "end": 1482.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1482.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Yes, I think our option or maybe our say would or suggestion would say that we are open. We are open for all partnerships in the circularity area, in the blue economy area. are not just we do not have drinks like one specific person or maybe an organization at the moment. But we are open for partnership. We are open for collaboration. We are open for grants, are open for NGOs willing to come in and support in terms of the training we are going to offer to the farmers, in terms of also trainings we're going to offer to the fishermen, in terms of funding, in terms of us reaching to the processing plant we require, the EUG processing plant we require. We are open to all. We are not just limited to any. Either in partnership in terms of equity or maybe in partnership in terms of grants, we are open to all. Yeah",
    "end": 1539.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1539.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: And let me just rephrase it, make sure I get it right. You have a stable supply of food waste. You have a high demand for your animal feed because there's a shortage and they're rising prices. So you have like orders waiting and your only limitation is capital to increase capacity.",
    "end": 1562.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1562.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Yes. So I would say for real, we have pending orders as we speak. We also do have a lot of supply of the waste and also other raw materials included. So the only thing we are having here, is how to upscale these to huge market to get into the market to also help other people in the industry. So I would say our biggest challenge is that. And if we get people who are willing to support, willing to partner with us. We are ready for the partnership. We are ready to work with people. We are ready for everything which is in this sector.",
    "end": 1601.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1601.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: That sounds amazing. Thanks a lot for sharing your insights and I can't wait to check in in three years again.",
    "end": 1608.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1608.0,
    "text": "Faith Mwende: Okay, okay. Yes, yes, that will be really nice. I hope you'll see the crop. You'll see some differences. We hope to have reached the point we have seen today. Okay. Thanks. Thank you for the opportunity to.",
    "end": 1619.0
  },
  {
    "start": 1619.0,
    "text": "Patrick Hypscher: Thanks for sharing your experience.",
    "end": 1676.016
  }
]