"Safisana's impact potential is very significant, far-reaching, and differentiated”

The Autodesk Foundation supports innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. It currently supports a portfolio of about 60 organizations through grants and impact investments across three impact areas: Energy & Materials, Work & Prosperity, and Health & Resilience. Safisana is part of Health & Resilience portfolio, which is managed by Beth Foster-Chao, Investment Lead, Climate Adaptation & Resilience. As part of our #WeAreSafisana interview series, we asked her about her perspective on Safisana's circular model and what led the Autodesk Foundation to become a funding partner.

**Beth Foster, Investment Lead, Climate Adaptation & Resilience at Autodesk Foundation**

How did you get to know about Safisana and what made you want to become a funding partner?

“I met your managing director Aart for the first time in 2020 through the DRK Foundation. They were funding Safisana at the time and made an introduction. What got me almost immediately excited about Safisana’s circular model was the market-based approach, the localized technology, and the potential to scale. This waste-to-value concept touches on so many different sectors - WASH, energy, agriculture– where there is a need for more climate-resilient solutions globally. That makes its impact potential very significant, far-reaching, and differentiated.”

How does the Autodesk Foundation support Safisana?

“We have provided a $400,000 grant for this year to scale the current plant in Ashaiman to its full potential, and for the further expansion and validation of the circular model. We’re also eager to equip Safisana with Autodesk technology to streamline team collaboration and plant design in new locations.

It is a very challenging model and a very challenging market, so to achieve replication to multiple plants in multiple countries in a few years, it will be key to understand from the current plant in Ashaiman what is replicable and what is not.”

What do you see as key strengths of Safisana?

“Like most of the nonprofits and start-ups we support, Safisana has a very strong focus on innovation and technology. What makes the Safisana model stand out as a business compared to other WASH initiatives which highly depend on public funds and public infrastructure, is their focus on engaging the private sector, and the pivotal role local industries play in derisking the sanitation service. For Safisana, working with local food and beverage industries as suppliers of organic waste and as off-takers of energy and fertilizer is key to anchoring the model into the community and creating long-lasting impacts on public health. For the local industry, it is a big opportunity to work with Safisana to decarbonize and become socially and environmentally responsible businesses. That is the biggest differentiator.”

What would you say to other fund managers about us?

“To truly build climate resilience, it’s critical to look at the root causes and consider how adaptation solutions can also reduce emissions and build more inclusive economies. Safisana isn’t just delivering multi-sector impact, but is also innovating with very new ways of delivering that impact. Providing essential solutions such as waste treatment, clean energy and organic fertilizer by promoting systems based on a regenerative, sustainable economy is very powerful.”

Learn more about Autodesk Foundation’s investment in Safisana, on this blog.