South Africa-based AsaDuru one of two companies from Africa selected for Silicon Valley's Blackbox Connect

The South Africa-based AsaDuru has been named one of 12 international companies selected for Blackbox Connect cohort #24, taking place in Silicon Valley this November 5-16. It is a highly selective, intensive two-week residential program for global founders looking to hone their craft of entrepreneurship and tap into the Silicon Valley growth mindset, through speaker sessions, workshops, pitch coaching, mentoring and expert feedback.

AsaDuru is a green building business based in Cape Town seeking to redefine the built environment; to function in step with nature rather than degrading it. They offer the TreeWell, a bioengineered sewage treatment and reuse system to close the water loop, and rammed earth, a visually stunning low carbon wall building technique. AsaDuru is now launching a pay-per-lease model for TreeWell, which means property owners can realise immediate savings on their water bills with no up-front investment.

“We believe our service is particularly needed in African cities, where overloaded and often limited infrastructure is struggling to cope with a rapidly growing urban population. By creating a sustainable water utility solution that has an immediate financial return for the client, we will help our cities become more water-resilient. This is particularly important in South Africa, where Cape Town is facing serious water constraint, and the country as a whole is facing a 17% water deficit by 2030.”, says Mohamed Bedri, founder and managing director of AsaDuru.

Through this opportunity, AsaDuru will be able to gain and share valuable knowledge with top VC’s, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and game changers in Silicon Valley and to bring these learnings back to Cape Town and South Africa.

The 12 participants, all of which are actively engaged in disrupting their industries, hail from Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, India, Ireland, Peru, Poland, South Africa, Spain, the UAE, and the UK. “As one of two companies selected from Africa, and the sole company from South Africa, we’re proud to be representing South Africa but also Sweden where the company was founded. I’m excited to what this experience has to offer and how it can fast-track our journey to help create more water-resilient cities”, says Mohamed Bedri.

Nominated by Epicenter in Stockholm, Sweden and JoziHub in Johannesburg, South Africa, both part of the Google for Entrepreneurs partner network, AsaDuru has received the Google for Startups Scholarship, which provides all-expenses-paid participation in Blackbox Connect.

Since 2011, over 400 entrepreneurs from 60+ countries have participated in Blackbox Connect and received support, guidance, and access to a global community. Over 90% continue to grow and thrive, 65% go on to raise funding within 6-9 months of the program, and the combined market value of the alumni network is approximately $1bn.

Image: With the only visible component being plants placed in the secondary treatment tank, the TreeWell system can be integrated into landscaping.