A Cleaner, Safer Kitchen for Millions
In Nairobi’s dense urban neighborhoods, where kerosene and charcoal are still common cooking fuels, KOKO Networks offers a safer, cleaner alternative: bioethanol. This Kenya-based clean-tech startup is transforming how people cook and saving lives in the process.
The KOKO Model
KOKO supplies bioethanol cooking fuel through a network of smart fuel ATMs installed in small shops and kiosks. Customers use KOKO stoves and prepaid smart cards to refill fuel affordably and conveniently.
As of 2025, KOKO serves over 700,000 households in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa.
Environmental and Health Benefits
Bioethanol burns clean, producing minimal indoor smoke, a mohair cause of respiratory illness. KOKO’s solution helps reduce deforestation caused by charcoal and cuts household carbon emissions by over 60%.
The company estimates it has prevented over 1 million tons of CO2 emission since launch.
Backed by Big Investment
KOKO has raised more than $90 million from investors like Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Shell Ventures, and African Clean Energy. It has also partnered with the Kenyan government to integrate clean cooking into national energy policy.
Cooking with Impact
By combining digital infrastructure, last-mile distribution, and environmental sustainability, KOKO is solving one of Africa’s quietest health crises right in the heart of cities.
