About Mathias
A self-proclaimed food hero who is working towards making food systems stronger, Mathias Yabe desires to have food systems that are both sustainable and fair to the local community. Mathias has always described himself as an entrepreneur. His passion for entrepreneurship led him to start his company Ako Fresh, where he leads his team. His business acumen has seen him holding notable positions such as Millennium Fellow, supporting student leaders to advance SDGs in their communities.
Transition into Entrepreneurship
Having grown up around issues of food security and social justice, Mathias was inspired to start a company that can ensure food security through preservation. His passion for food security combined with good entrepreneurial skills has gotten him recognition as a top innovator by the World Economic Forum. Mills Fabrics also awarded him the Community Prize for his role in championing food security and his tremendous contribution toward a net-zero world.
Business Information
Ako Fresh, a food preservation company incorporated in Ghana, offers solar-powered cold storage, and preservation services to help extend the shelf life of crops for up to 21 days in a bid to minimize post-harvest loss. The business works with both B2B and B2C models. Ako Fresh’s biggest market is currently in the Ashanti region of Ghana, where there is a lot of horticultural activity. The company has plans to scale outside of Ghana. In the short term, they plan to do a needs assessment in Burkina Faso, a major tomato producer in West Africa.
