The Shift
The Old Way: Waste as a Costly Problem
Traditional sanitation assumes sewers—expensive infrastructure that takes decades to build and doesn't work in dense, unplanned settlements.
- 2.3 billion people lack basic sanitation globally
- Poor sanitation causes 2 million child deaths annually
- Sewers require decades and billions to build
- Farmers depend on expensive imported fertilizers
The New Way: Waste as a Resource
Fresh Life toilets in informal settlements feed a processing facility where black soldier fly larvae convert waste into organic fertilizer and protein-rich animal feed.
- Container-based toilets needing no water or sewers
- Franchise model creates income for 240+ local operators
- Black soldier fly larvae process waste in 14 days
- Two revenue streams: Evergrow fertilizer + KuzaPro protein
The Story
Founded in 2011 by MIT graduates David Auerbach, Lindsay Stradley, and Ani Vallabhaneni after winning MIT's $100K business plan competition.
Sanergy operates circular sanitation infrastructure in Nairobi, converting human and organic waste into agricultural products.
Proof Points
Serving 250,000+ daily users across Kenya
Annually - largest facility in East Africa
For farmers using Evergrow organic fertilizer
Using Sanergy agricultural products
Deep Dive
Innovation
Black soldier fly larvae can consume 4x their body weight daily, converting organic waste into 40% protein biomass in just 14 days. The larvae sanitize the waste—no pathogens survive.
Circular Model
Sanergy monetizes waste at both ends: toilet operators pay for collection; farmers pay for fertilizer and feed. The 2022 restructuring split into Fresh Life (toilets) and Regen Organics (processing).
Community Impact
250,000+ people get safe sanitation daily. 240+ franchise operators (mostly women) earn income. 900+ employees at processing. 10,000+ farmers get affordable inputs.
Business Results
Regen Organics is now the largest organic fertilizer producer by volume in East Africa. The company was an Earthshot Prize finalist in 2021.
Key Takeaway
Sanergy proves that 'waste' is a failure of imagination. What looks like an unsolvable public health crisis is actually a misallocated resource.
Founder Pathway
Sanitation regulations, agricultural certifications, novel food regulations for insect protein