Sanivation
Sanivation is a Kenya-based sanitation social enterprise that partners with African water utilities and county governments to deliver waste-to-value fecal sludge treatment plants, converting human waste into biomass briquettes, alongside citywide sanitation planning and container-based sanitation services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNakuru, Kenya
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sanivation does
Sanivation is a Kenya-headquartered sanitation social enterprise founded in 2014 that partners with African water utilities and county governments to deliver waste-to-value fecal sludge management infrastructure. The company operates across 10+ Kenyan secondary cities and has expanded into Tanzania and Nigeria, with a staff of 60+. Its core offering is a design-build-operate (DBO) service model in which Sanivation finances, constructs, and operates fecal sludge treatment plants at no cost to the contracting utility, monetizing operations through downstream biomass briquette sales under its "Fuel from Poo" brand and supplemental advisory revenue. The company has cumulatively sold approximately 7,066 tons of briquettes and holds two US patents covering its sludge-to-solid-fuel conversion process.
The company's product portfolio spans four service lines: city-wide sanitation master planning (including container-based sanitation and CBS/CWIS frameworks), waste collection logistics, waste-to-value treatment plants (with the Naivasha flagship operating at 350 tons/month), and solid waste management. Technology components include solar-powered drying systems, mechanical briquette presses, and proprietary sludge-treatment processes protected by US patents. Sanivation has executed master plans and DBO contracts with named utilities including MAWASCO, NAIVAWASCO, WAJWASCO, NYAHUWASCO, and MWAUWASA, and has secured humanitarian-sector deployments with UNHCR and AECF (notably the Kakuma refugee camp FSTP).
Revenue mechanics combine three streams: (1) institutional biomass briquette sales to factories, schools, and hospitals; (2) consulting and advisory fees for city-wide sanitation planning; and (3) grant and concessional funding from development finance institutions such as PIDG, UNCDF, and AECF. The SUEZ subcontract for Mwanza master planning (2025) marks entry into international-tier consulting revenue, while the 2026 PIDG round ($3.3M) and UNCDF/Gfcr grant ($540K) provide growth capital. The model is differentiated by its ability to offer utilities a zero-cost sanitation solution, with cost recovery shifted to downstream fuel-product monetization — a structural advantage over conventional FSM operators.
Sanivation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sanivation
- Legal name
- Sanivation
- Website
- https://sanivation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sanivation is a Kenya-based sanitation social enterprise that partners with African water utilities and county governments to deliver waste-to-value fecal sludge treatment plants, converting human waste into biomass briquettes, alongside citywide sanitation planning and container-based sanitation services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sanivation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sanitation Services
- NAICS
- Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Waste Treatment and Disposal (56221), Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators (562213), Waste Collection (56211), Remediation Services (562910)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953), Hazardous Waste Management (4955), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Subtitle: Waste Treatment & Disposal — Sub-industries (L4) (EUAIACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Incineration & Energy Recovery (EUACAIAA), Biomass & Waste-to-Energy Plant EPC (EUAEAAAI), Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks) (BPALAMAA), Sludge/Biosolids Handling & Treatment Facilities Construction (IMAFAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Sanivation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nakuru
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sanivation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Design-Build-Operate (DBO) Contracts with Utilities: Sanivation partners with water utilities to design, build, and operate fecal sludge treatment plants. Plants operate at no cost to the utility, with Sanivation generating revenue through sale of reuse products (briquettes) and service fees.
- Waste-to-Value Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling biomass briquettes produced from treated fecal sludge and invasive biomass (Prosopis juliflora). Briquettes are sold to institutions such as schools, hotels, and hospitals as a clean-burning fuel alternative to firewood and charcoal.
- Technical Assistance and Advisory Services: Sanivation provides master planning, capacity building, technology showcasing, and advisory services for solid waste management to local governments and utilities.
- Consulting Services for City-Wide Sanitation Planning: Comprehensive sanitation planning including stakeholder engagement, feasibility analysis, and development of 10-20 year climate-resilient sanitation plans for cities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Waste-to-value plant DBO model at no cost to utility |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sanivation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sanivation designs, builds, and operates fecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) that convert human waste into biomass briquettes for industrial fuel use, partnering with water utilities and local governments across African secondary cities. The company delivers four integrated services: city-wide inclusive sanitation (CWIS) master planning, container-based sanitation waste collection, waste-to-value treatment plants, and solid waste management advisory services. Plants operate at no cost to utilities with revenue generated through briquette sales and service fees.
Product overview
Sanivation is a sanitation service provider offering four integrated core products: Master Planning (climate-resilient sanitation planning), Waste Collection (container-based sanitation and pit emptying services), Waste-to-value Treatment Plants (fecal sludge treatment generating biomass fuels), and Solid Waste Management (advisory services). The company operates through city-based projects including Naivasha, Malindi, Kakuma, and Wajir in Kenya, with expansion to Tanzania and Nigeria. Sanivation's model focuses on partnering with local governments and water utilities to deliver city-wide inclusive sanitation solutions that transform waste into valuable products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Master Planning Comprehensive urban sanitation planning service that develops climate-resilient, cost-effective, and inclusive 10-20 year sanitation plans through stakeholder engagement and feasibility analysis for cities and municipalities.
- Waste Collection Sanitation service that improves waste collection systems to eliminate groundwater and environmental contamination through capacity building for manual pit emptiers, container-based sanitation (CBS), semi-mechanized pit emptying, and transfer stations.
- Waste-to-value Treatment Plants Design, build, and operate fecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) using a waste-to-energy model that generates revenue from reuse products such as biomass briquettes, with plants operating at no cost to utilities.
- Solid Waste Management Advisory services for the collection, sorting, and reuse of solid waste, supporting municipalities in developing integrated solid waste management programs.
- Naivasha Waste-to-energy Plant First-of-its-kind fecal sludge treatment plant with capacity to serve 10,000 people and produce 350 tons of fuel per month, with planned scale-up to 100,000 people and 1,200 tons per month.
- Malindi City-wide Inclusive Sanitation City-wide inclusive sanitation service providing a 20-year sanitation plan, treatment plant designs, transfer stations, and pit emptying services for Malindi and Watamu, serving 350,000 residents with US$95 million in sanitation investments charted.
- Kakuma Container-based Sanitation Container-based toilets-to-briquettes service for refugee camps, having deployed 500 toilets and sold nearly 100 tons of fuel, with ongoing waste-to-value plant operations managed by local refugees.
- Wajir Technical Assistance Technical assistance service for fecal sludge management improvement, revamping the municipal sanitation system using city-wide inclusive sanitation (CWIS) principles in Wajir, a town of 90,000 residents in semi-arid northwestern Kenya.
Quantifiable outcome
- 6,816 tons of fecal sludge safely managed
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use Sanivation
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sanivation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Sanivation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Wajir Water and Sewerage Company (WAJWASCO)coreSanivation contracted by the water utility to revamp municipal sanitation system using CWIS principles in Wajir, a town of 90,000 residents. Partnership as part of World Bank's Water and Sanitation Development Project (P156634), timeframe July 2020 - ongoing.
- County Government of KilificoreStrategic partner in Malindi City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation initiative. County government co-finances sanitation activities and provides policy support for the 20-year sanitation plan launched in December 2020 for 350,000 residents.
- MAWASCO (Malindi Water and Sewerage Company)coreSanivation serves as technical partner to MAWASCO for Malindi CWIS implementation since June 2019. Sanivation helped design the city-wide sanitation plan, raise funds, and launch implementation. The $8M treatment plant project (expanded from $1M) serves Malindi and Watamu.
- WSUP (Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor)coreWSUP co-financed and provided expertise in the Malindi CWIS planning exercise launched in September 2019. Organization specializes in urban sanitation for low-income populations and brings expertise in city-wide inclusive sanitation approaches.
- NAIVAWASCO (Naivasha Water and Sanitation Company)corePartnership with NAIVAWASCO and County Government of Nakuru since 2015 to deliver first-of-its-kind fecal sludge treatment plant. Plant operational since 2016 with capacity to serve 10,000 people and produce 350 tons fuel/month. Scale-up planned to serve 100,000 people.
- UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)corePartnership from 2016-2019 in Kakuma Refugee Camp delivering container-based sanitation and cost-effective waste treatment. Deployed 500 toilets, sold nearly 100 tons of fuel, hired 30 refugees. Published two cost-effectiveness reports with UNHCR. Ongoing partnership for waste-to-value FSTP in Kakuma.
- Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)corePartnered with Sanivation and UNHCR from 2016-2019 to deliver container-based sanitation in Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement. Contributed to professionalizing waste collection and providing dignified employment for refugees.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)supportingTechnical partner in Kakuma project (2016-2019) providing expertise in public health and disease prevention aspects of sanitation interventions in humanitarian settings.
- SUEZcoreSanivation joined SUEZ as subcontractor for Mwanza Water and Sanitation Master Plans update. Sanivation leads sanitation components of the work including updating regional sanitation master plan (2025-2050) and developing feasibility studies for Mwanza North. Project funded by EU under Green & Smart Cities/SASA Initiative with AFD as implementing agency.
- DMP (Design Master Plan)coreDesign partner in Malindi treatment plant redesign consortium. DMP collaborated with Sanivation and SGI Studio to reimagine the project scope, expanding from $1M to $8M to serve Malindi and Watamu.
- SGI StudiosupportingPart of the consortium with Sanivation and DMP for Malindi treatment plant redesign. SGI Studio contributed to waste-to-value innovations in the expanded project scope.
- MWAUWASA (Mwanza Urban Water and Sanitation Authority)coreSanivation working as subcontractor to SUEZ providing sanitation components for Mwanza Water and Sanitation Master Plans update. Support includes feasibility studies, preliminary designs for wastewater and fecal sludge management systems for Mwanza North (2025-2050).
- NYAHUWASCO (Nyahururu Water & Sanitation Company)supportingCollaboration on data-driven sanitation management in Nyahururu Municipality. Sanivation contributes expertise in innovative sanitation technologies while NYAHUWASCO provides local utility knowledge and implementation capacity. Partnership aims to develop scalable, data-driven solutions.
- Kumbatia SeafoodsupportingSeparate but parallel investment recipient alongside Sanivation from UNCDF/Gfcr. Kumbatia Seafood received up to $250,000 for sustainable fisheries model replication in Lamu and Kwale, both initiatives aim to reduce pressures on marine ecosystems.
- UNICEFsupportingOrganization Sanivation has actively collaborated with across sanitation projects and initiatives. UNICEF contributes technical expertise and development partner resources to public-private sanitation solutions.
- UnileversupportingCorporate partner that Sanivation has collaborated with for sanitation project development and delivery. Partnership brings private sector expertise and resources to public-private sanitation solutions.
Scale indicators27 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sanivation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sanergy: Kenya-based social enterprise that pioneered container-based sanitation and converts waste into fertilizer and other end products for sale. Closest direct competitor in the African urban fecal-sludge-to-value category, sharing Sanivation's DBO + reuse model.
- Loowatt: London/Madagascar-headquartered container-based sanitation company turning human waste into biogas and fertilizer. Comparable on the container-based sanitation delivery model and the waste-to-product revenue logic, though using anaerobic digestion rather than briquettes.
- x-runner: Peruvian container-based sanitation startup collecting household waste and converting it into compost and fertilizer. Compares to Sanivation on the BOP container-based sanitation + waste-to-value model, with analogous last-mile collection logistics.
- Clean Team Ghana: Ghana-based container-based sanitation social enterprise deploying household toilets with sealed containers and collection logistics. Operates the same CBS → treatment → reuse chain as Sanivation's Kakuma program in a different West African market.
- SOIL Haiti: Haiti-based social enterprise using container-based sanitation with composting toilets that turn waste into agricultural compost. Closest analog to Sanivation on the container-based sanitation + waste-to-product model in a low-income, low-sewer context.
Emerging players
- BURN Manufacturing: Kenya-based clean cookstove and biomass fuel manufacturer addressing the same institutional and household fuel demand that Sanivation's briquettes serve. Adjacent competitor in the clean-fuel customer wallet and a potential downstream partner for briquette distribution.
- Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP): Specialist NGO/fund supporting city-wide inclusive sanitation in low-income cities, including co-financing Sanivation's Malindi plan. Comparable as a CWIS-planning and advisory counterpart rather than an asset operator, but competes for the same municipal advisory mandates.
- Sistema.bio: Mexico/Kenya-headquartered biogas digester company serving smallholder farmers and institutions across Africa and Latin America. Comparable as a waste-to-energy social enterprise targeting the same institutional off-takers and climate-finance ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- Veolia: Global environmental services group active across African water and wastewater utilities. Represents the incumbent competitive threat on large municipal wastewater and fecal sludge management contracts across Sanivation's target geographies.
- SUEZ: Global water and waste utility that has engaged Sanivation as a subcontractor on the Mwanza master plan. Comparable as a large incumbent pursuing the same African municipal sanitation mandates Sanivation targets, with substantially greater capital and reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sanivation social profiles
Digital presenceSanivation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sanivation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Sanivation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sanivation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sanivation
What does Sanivation do?
Sanivation designs, builds, and operates fecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) that convert human waste into biomass briquettes for industrial fuel use, partnering with water utilities and local governments across African secondary cities. The company delivers four integrated services: city-wide inclusive sanitation (CWIS) master planning, container-based sanitation waste collection, waste-to-value treatment plants, and solid waste management advisory services. Plants operate at no cost to utilities with revenue generated through briquette sales and service fees.
Is Sanivation a public or private company?
Sanivation is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Sanivation founded?
Sanivation was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sanivation based?
Sanivation is headquartered in Nakuru, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does Sanivation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Design-Build-Operate (DBO) Contracts with Utilities are the primary driver. The others are waste-to-Value Product Sales, technical Assistance and Advisory Services and consulting Services for City-Wide Sanitation Planning.
Who are Sanivation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sanergy, Loowatt, x-runner, Clean Team Ghana and SOIL Haiti. Emerging players are BURN Manufacturing, Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) and Sistema.bio. Broad incumbents are Veolia and SUEZ.
Does Sanivation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sanivation.
What industry is Sanivation in?
Sanivation's product category is Sanitation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIACAA, Subtitle: Waste Treatment & Disposal — Sub-industries (L4), with a secondary code of EUACAIAA, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Incineration & Energy Recovery. Its NAICS code is 221320 and its SIC code is 4953.