Photo of Alex Mensah TenkorangAlex
Alex Mensah Tenkorang
Time with Fapemo Grow
Photo of Alex Mensah TenkorangAlex Mensah Tenkorang

Time with Fapemo Grow

Introduction to Fapemo Grow, an agritech startup based in Accra, Ghana.

30 OCTOBER 2026 · 15 MIN
  • Business
  • #solar
  • #farming
  • #borehole
  • #startups
0:0014:59

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Notes

Distill made these from the recording. Alex chose which to share.

Key Points 10

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  1. I'm Algebra, the CTO for Fapemo Grow, handling anything tech-based, and my brother Kofi is our MD / CEO, the key person for Fapemo Grow. This is the first talk-through session in a series where we'll introduce our cherished listeners and readers to what we do as a company, sharing our experience building startups in Africa, especially Ghana, the good, the bad and the ugly.
  2. At Fapemo Grow we describe ourselves as an agri-tech and green infrastructure company: we build solar-powered irrigation systems, solar two-way systems, and portable groundwater borehole systems for households, industries, companies, farms and communities.
  3. Most of the rural areas we travel to lack electricity, and getting power from the national grid is very difficult according to ECG's own annual publications and other energy companies, so mostly we solve this using solar, an alternative power source.
Show all 10 key points
  1. Right now our energy solutions upgrade communities in Ghana without connecting to the national grid, but as net-metering develops in Ghana, we expect that energy could eventually be connected to the grid so that whoever has excess power can sell it back for extra credit.
  2. From our over 8 years of farming experience, we've found the rainfall pattern is no longer as reliable as it used to be and temperatures are hotter than they used to be, which is why we need irrigation to farm all year round rather than just 3 or 4 months a year.
  3. Ghana imports about $2 billion worth of food every year, so there's a huge opportunity to tackle our food production systems, and that is where our drip and sprinkler-hose irrigation systems come in, ensuring water is available to plants whether or not it rains.
  4. As a hypothetical example to illustrate the point, Kofi described a farmer household making 400 cities worth of produce from farming once a year, and said that with irrigation letting them farm twice a year, all things being equal, they could make 800 cities worth, doubling their income and improving quality of life in rural areas.
  5. Beyond energy and irrigation, we also work on access to potable water: since surface water sources have been affected by illegal mining (galamsey) in Ghana, Fapemogro surveys and engineers systems to bring up underground water and make it accessible for farms, households, schools and communities.
  6. As a continent, Kofi argued Africa has more sunshine hours and more arable land for farming than other continents, and appreciable water resources even though it isn't the leading continent for water reserves, and that getting water, energy and food solutions right forms the foundation for any further development like manufacturing.
  7. Without energy, food and water, Kofi questioned how Africa could develop to catch up with Europe, pointing out that even in the era of AI and technology, machines still need energy to run and human labor to operate them.

Teaching Material 4

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  1. Energy access and solar solutions: discussion 1. We describe Fapemugro as an agri-tech and green infrastructure company doing solar-powered irrigation, solar two-way systems, and portable groundwater borehole systems. Discuss who these solutions serve: households, industries, companies, farms and communities. 2. We say that in rural areas the majority of places do not have electricity, and that ECG's own publications show getting power from the national grid is very difficult. What alternative power sources might work in places you know that lack grid access? 3. We mention that with net metering in Ghana, excess solar power could eventually be sold back to the national grid for credit. Discuss what conditions would need to be in place for this to become widespread. 4. Discuss: why might channeling heat and sunlight into something resourceful, as we put it, change how people think about Ghana's hot climate?
  2. Irrigation and food security: discussion 1. We explain that from over 8 years of farming experience, rainfall patterns are no longer reliable and temperatures are hotter than before. Discuss how unpredictable rainfall affects farming decisions you have seen or experienced. 2. We note that Ghana imports about 2 billion dollars worth of food every year, and argue this shows a huge opportunity to improve domestic food systems. What would need to change to reduce that import figure? 3. We use a hypothetical example: a farmer who makes 400 cities(a local term for harvest units) from planting once a year could, with irrigation, plant twice and make 800 cities, doubling household income. Discuss this as an illustration, not a documented outcome, and consider what assumptions it depends on. 4. We argue that year-round farming through irrigation could reduce rural-urban migration by keeping people engaged during the dry season. Discuss the link we draw between idleness and the risk of people doing something they are not supposed to do.
  3. Water and borehole systems: discussion 1. We argue that water is more immediately critical than electricity, saying you can live without light but a house without water will stink. Discuss whether you agree with this ranking of needs. 2. We point to illegal mining, called galamsey in Ghana, as having affected surface water that previous generations depended on. Discuss what this means for where communities now need to look for safe water. 3. We describe using engineering methods to bring underground water to the surface for farms, households, schools and communities, with the specific system depending on an assessment and survey of purpose and volume needed. Discuss what factors such an assessment might need to weigh. 4. Discuss: food security is framed by Kofi as not security at all when it is controlled by an external force. What examples (local or global) illustrate this concern about dependency?
Show all 4 teaching material
  1. Africa's resource foundation: discussion 1. Kofi argues that Africa has more sunshine hours, more arable land, and appreciable water resources compared to other continents, though not the leading continent for water reserves. Discuss what it would take to turn these natural advantages into functioning infrastructure. 2. Kofi connects energy access to the future of AI, saying energy powers AI and data centers. Discuss whether you think this connection is relevant to communities without reliable electricity today. 3. Kofi claims that without water, food and energy solved first, a continent cannot do manufacturing or much tertiary activity, because even operating machinery requires human labour that itself depends on these basics. Discuss whether you agree with this sequencing of development priorities. 4. As a closing exercise, pick one of the three areas (energy, food, water) discussed in this session and outline, in your own words, what a realistic first step would look like for a specific community you know.

Social Posts 6

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  1. At Fapemo Grow we're an agri-tech and green infrastructure company. We build solar-powered irrigation systems, drip and sprinkler hose setups, and portable groundwater borehole systems for homes, farms, schools and communities without reliable access to the national grid.
  2. Ghana imports about $2 billion worth of food every year, according to what we discussed on this talk-through. That's the scale of opportunity we see for fixing food production and irrigation at home.
  3. If irrigation lets a farming household plant twice a year instead of once, going from 400GHS to 800GHS, that's a hypothetical example of doubled income and better quality of life in rural areas, as we discussed.
Show all 6 social posts
  1. Water is key. You can live without light, but a house without water will stink. Almost every activity is water-driven, which is why potable water access matters as much as energy.
  2. With illegal mining (galamse) hurting our surface water in Ghana, we're focused on groundwater, using the right engineering to bring it to the surface for farms, households, schools and communities.
  3. Africa has more sunshine hours and more arable land than other continents, plus appreciable water resources. Getting our water, energy and food solutions right is the foundation for everything else, including manufacturing.