KrASIA’s team is spread across multiple countries, but most of us are in Southeast Asia. We travel within the region to meet contacts and get a feel for new local developments.
No matter where we go, we hear about greentech and cleantech. These are often framed as up-and-coming sectors that will do immense good while yielding incredible payoff. We’re skeptical about the top line colliding with societal improvement, but the fact is many startups are founded by individuals who are truly out to improve conditions in the places that they love.
More than that, startups that develop solutions to solve climate-related problems and pollution are essential. Countries with emerging economies are often the locations where the impact of climate change and contamination will be felt most deeply—rivers that once provided drinking water are clogged with plastic, or the air is tainted with chemicals spewed from factories.
Intervention comes in many forms. Over in Cambodia, SUdrain makes wastewater filters out of discarded coconut husks, giving manufacturing facilities a way to process their discharge. Okra Solar builds independent networks of solar panels to electrify clusters of households, bringing power to off-grid homes. ATEC turns biomass into gas for cooking plus organic fertilizer.
Those are just a few examples of domestically founded startups in Cambodia that are making a difference in their communities. Amirah unpacked more in her recent report. Check it out here.
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