Bamboo labs is an award-winning social enterprise in Ethiopia working to address the growing aspirations for sustainable and accessible mobility in Addis Ababa. Capitalising on the huge supply of bamboo in Ethiopia and aligning with the government’s push for more sustainable modes of transport, they are producing wheelchairs and bicycles made out of bamboo for the local market. They also have plans to produce bamboo bike frames for export.
Bamboo Labs promotes affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport mobility by utilising renewable resources to create a positive environmental impact. Founded by a young Ethiopian entrepreneur Abel Hailegiorgis, the company began its work in 2019 by addressing a need for improved mobility for wheelchair users in Addis Ababa. With some seed funding from an international NGO in Addis Ababa, Abel was able to set about designing wheelchairs made from bamboo. Since then Abel has gained experience working at the Bamboo Bike Club in Munich and more recently participated in a three-month training and mentorship programme organised by the UN’s Global Green Growth Institute where bamboo labs won one of the Green Mobility awards.
Bamboo labs aims to be a leading player in the bamboo market in Ethiopia and contribute towards bringing about a more equitable, safer and greener mobility plan for the country. Using locally sourced bamboo it is already creating jobs and strengthening the local economy. The company is also advocating for more sustainable modes of transport and a reduced carbon footprint.
Abel is a Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) alumni and has received several recognitions and awards for his innovative products.
For enquiries please contact Abel at abelhailegiorgisdaddy@gmail.com or on WhatsApp +251 910 416023.
