Ph.D. Candidate Ismael Mayanja's Startup Recognized by Comstock's Magazine
During an internship in eastern Uganda in 2018, biosystems engineering Ph.D. candidate Ismael Mayanja first had the idea for what would become Badaye Technologies.
This month, Badaye Technologies was recognized by Comstock's Magazine as its startup of the month.
During that trip to Uganda, Mayanja observed how farmers cleaned maize and believed there had to be another way.
"I saw it was so laborious and wasted a lot of time, and the maize output was not very clean," said Mayanja. "It came to me that there needs to be a much better way to clean the maize."
After that, Mayanja developed a prototype that uses a simple pedal system, like a bicycle, to clean maize without electricity or fuel. Many rural farmers, he explained, can't afford high-tech robot cleaners or have no access to electricity. This is why it was important for the design to be low-tech, but efficient.
Earlier this year, Badaye Technologies took home $20,000 at the UC Davis Big Bang! Competition, organized by the Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.