SOLGEL Water Solutions began as a research question about affordable, off-grid water purification and grew into an award-winning social enterprise serving refugee settlements and rural communities.
SOLGEL started with a simple observation: electricity is scarce across Northern Uganda's rural districts and refugee settlements, which puts most modern water purification technology out of reach. Families were left boiling water over firewood — expensive, unhealthy, and hard on the surrounding forest.
Our team began prototyping a chitosan-polypyrrole hydrogel that could absorb raw water and use solar heat to drive evaporation, removing pathogens and heavy metals without a single moving part. After months of laboratory synthesis, mock-ups, and workshop fabrication, that prototype became a certified, gravity-fed purification unit — and went on to win the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge in 2024–25.
To innovate, manufacture, and distribute the optimal and climate-smart technologies for integrated clean energy, clean water access, and circular resource solutions.
To be the ultimate sustainable and climate-smart solution to safe water access, energy, and circular environmental solutions.
Innovation with Purpose, Integrated Sustainability, Integrity, Community First, Teamwork
Sets company vision and strategy, builds partnerships, and represented the team at the Efficiency for Access Grand Final.
Runs daily operations and logistics, and leads outreach to NGOs, government, and private partners.
Leads market research and end-user sensitisation, and trains technicians, schools, and communities on system use.
Owns product design and engineering, manages fabrication, and drives performance research from field feedback.
SOLGEL was recognised globally after winning the Gold Award in the prestigious Efficiency for Access Design Challenge, validating our technology's potential to solve water purification challenges in off-grid settings and opening doors to funding, partnerships, and scaling opportunities.
Completed a 3-month accelerator program with Energy Catalyst UK (September–December 2025), focused on early-stage venture commercialisation and customer engagement planning.
Represented SOLGEL at the Efficiency for Access Grand Final, presenting the technology and business case to a global panel of judges and industry stakeholders.
Established a research and development collaboration with the Welthungerhilfe team, supporting field validation and community deployment planning.
