Plug and Play is excited to announce its recent investment in Kubik. Dubbed Africa’s number-one startup of the year, Kubik turns hard-to-recycle plastic waste into walls using interlocking building materials.

Kubik is addressing multiple challenges present in the greater Africa region at once. Their products remove hard-to-recycle plastic waste from landfills, and the building materials they create with this waste eliminate the need for cement, bricks, rebar, or any other kind of reinforced steel structure while maintaining the appearance of any other building material.

These materials are sustainable, cost-effective and will address the need for affordable housing in the region. More specifically, each of their factories will:

• Recycle 45 tons of plastic every day
• Produce bricks, columns, and beams from their materials for use in the building of schools, clinics, affordable housing units, storage and warehouse units, paving blocks, fencing structures, etc.
• Employ around 200 women as factory workers to address gender inequalities.

Plastic waste crisis in Africa: A challenge and opportunity for affordable housing

Africa faces a massive plastic waste crisis, generating 70 million tons annually. Shockingly, only 4% of this waste is recycled. In parallel, the continent's rapid urbanization is fueling the need for housing - an estimated 34,000 homes must be constructed daily. However, the rising costs of traditional building materials pose a significant challenge to meeting this demand.

Competitive advantage

Kubik's competitive advantage lies in its ability to deliver highly customized modular constructions with speed, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and consistent quality. They offer highly customizable and flexible construction options tailored to clients' needs and requirements - this customization level is impossible with traditional construction methods.

In addition, Kubik can significantly reduce construction time compared to conventional methods through their modular construction techniques. The manufacturing process occurs simultaneously with on-site preparation, allowing for parallel execution and quicker project completion. This speed and efficiency benefit clients who require fast implementation or want to minimize disruption to their operations.

Kubik's modular construction methods also offer cost advantages. The company can achieve economies of scale and reduce material waste by optimizing design and manufacturing processes. Shorter construction times lead to lower labor costs and reduced financing expenses, resulting in overall cost savings for clients.

Sustainability is a crucial aspect of Kubik's competitive advantage. The company incorporates eco-friendly practices to minimize the environmental impact of construction. Their modular constructions are designed to be energy-efficient and can include features such as renewable energy systems, efficient insulation, and smart technologies to reduce energy consumption and waste.

Kubik also strongly emphasizes quality control throughout their manufacturing and construction processes. The company ensures consistent quality standards by utilizing precision engineering and factory-controlled manufacturing. They can deliver durable, long-lasting modular constructions that meet or exceed industry standards.

It’s truly admirable that Kubik is simultaneously addressing multiple regional and industry pain points, both social and environmental. Working with Kidus over the past few months has been a privilege, and we’re incredibly proud to welcome them at Plug and Play.