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Reykjavik, Iceland | THE INDEPENDENT & AGENCIES | The world’s focus will next week turn to Iceland as the Nordic island country hosts events of the The Young Inventors Prize 2025, where 17 brilliant minds—two Ugandans included—will be celebrated.
The Young Inventors Prize 2025, set for June 18th in Reykjavik, will celebrate the groundbreaking contributions to the world of 10 inventions. Making the top 10 are Ugandan entrepreneurs Sandra Namboozo (26) and Samuel Muyita (27), founders of Karpolax.
Karpolax is a plant-based sachet that extends the shelf life of fresh fruit by up to 30 days. According to experts, their sustainable, biodegradable preservation solution supports SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by reducing post-harvest losses and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by promoting sustainable food preservation practices.
Namboozo and Muyita both grew up in farming families and saw firsthand the challenges of post-harvest losses, which have a devastating impact on the profit of small-scale farmers. Determined to find a natural and more affordable alternative to synthetic preservatives, they developed sachets, which release a blend of plant-derived volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to slow ripening and prevent spoilage.
The compounds—extracted from cloves, lemongrass, eucalyptus, and wintergreen—inhibit ethylene production, the natural gas responsible for fruit ripening, and offer protection against mold, fungi, and bacteria. Their solution allows for the controlled, sustained release of these compounds, tailored to different fruit types, thereby providing a biodegradable alternative to conventional artificial preservatives.
Pilot tests conducted with Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) showed that mangoes stored with the sachets remained fresh for 33 days, while those without them lasted only 11 days. The sachets have since been successfully used on bananas, apples, and oranges. With an affordable price point, Karpolax’s sachets are particularly suited to smallholder farmers and local markets, offering a cost-effective and locally accessible way to reduce food waste and increase earnings.
Namboozi and Muyita hailed
Uganda’s former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi has hailed the Ugandans for their invention.
“Proud moment for Uganda! Congratulations to Sandra Namboozo and Samuel Muyita, Makerere University graduates, whose plant-based, biodegradable sachet that preserves fruit has earned them a spot in the Top 10 finalists for the 2025 Young Inventors Prize by the European Patent Office. Your innovation is a triumph of creativity and purpose,” he said on X this week.
He added, “To all young Ugandans: let this be your inspiration—dream big, think boldly, and be the solution our world needs.”
The Young Inventors Prize celebrates worldwide innovators 30 and under using technology to address global challenges posed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
During the ceremony, their work will be showcased before revealing the winners of the special prizes: World Builders, Community Healers, and Nature Guardians. Organizers will also announce the People’s Choice winner, the only prize decided by public online voting that is ongoing (CLICK here to vote) .
Karpolax solution made in Uganda
Namboozo and Muyita met while studying at Makerere University in Kampala, where they quickly bonded over a shared ambition to reduce food waste. They launched Karpolax in 2020 and aim to expand its reach across Africa, targeting Kenya, Rwanda and beyond.
“Farmers are one of our biggest customer groups. We wanted to use our knowledge and technical skills to develop something that would not just end on a paper in a lab but really be used by somebody,” explains Namboozo.
“Starting from zero, you need to source that funding yourself. We had some supervisors from the university who supported us and made us feel confident that we could succeed,” added Muyita.
Despite the steady increase in the global population, around 40% of all food produced does not reach the market, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
By 2023, Karpolax had already worked with over 100 farmers, 20 exporters, and 250 market vendors. The company is now expanding its product line to include sachets for pineapples, capsicum, and berries.
About the Young Inventors Prize
According to a statement from the organiers, the European Patent Office (EPO), the 10 exceptional innovators were chosen by an independent jury from over 450 talented candidates
Aimed at individuals 30 and under, the Young Inventors Prize showcases the transformative power of youth-driven solutions and recognises the remarkable young people paving the way to a more sustainable future. Established in 2022, trophies were first handed out during the European Inventor Award ceremony.
From 2025 onwards, the Prize will move up a gear with its own dedicated event, held separately from the Award. Among the 10 Tomorrow Shapers selected for each edition, three will be awarded a special prize: World Builders, Community Healers, and Nature Guardians. In addition, a People’s Choice winner, voted by the public online, will be revealed. Each Tomorrow Shaper will receive EUR 5 000, the three special prize winners will each receive an extra EUR 15 000. The People’s Choice winner will be awarded an additional EUR 5 000.
EPO President António Campinos emphasized the significance of the Young Inventors Prize, stating, “Young inventors are the architects of a brighter tomorrow, bringing fresh perspectives and bold solutions to the world’s most daunting challenges. By celebrating their achievements, we not only honor their ingenuity but also underline the transformative power of technologies and science in shaping a sustainable future and inspiring generations to come.”
🟥The 10 Tomorrow Shapers
✳ Extending the shelf life of fresh produce: Ugandan entrepreneurs Sandra Namboozo and Samuel Muyita created a biodegradable sachet that slows fruit ripening, reducing food waste and supporting smallholder farmers.
✳ E-waste tackling solutions through paper-based electronic device parts: Austrian industrial designer Franziska Kerber developed dissolvable components for devices such as routers, enabling easier recovery of valuable metals.
✳ Sustainable aviation sealants: Filipino aeronautical engineer Mark Kennedy Bantugon developed an aircraft sealant made from discarded Pili Tree resin, offering a more sustainable and less toxic alternative to many current sealants.
✳ Revolutionising rare earth recycling: French-American chemist Marie Perrin pioneered a process to extract europium from discarded fluorescent lamps, making its recycling simpler and less toxic.
✳ Capturing pollutants and improving air quality: Colombian entrepreneur Mariana Pérez designed a Direct Air Capture system that removes CO₂, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide from the air, enabling captured pollutants to be converted into biodegradable materials.
✳ AI-designed enzymes for industry and healthcare: Lithuanian researchers Laurynas Karpus, Vykintas Jauniškis and Irmantas Rokaitis co-developed an AI-powered platform for designing new enzymes tailored for biomanufacturing and pharmaceutical, among other applications.
✳ Smart labels to reduce food waste and food poisoning: Spanish inventors Pilar Granado, Pablo Sosa Domínguez and Luis Chimeno created biodegradable smart labels that monitor food freshness in real-time, helping reduce unnecessary food waste.
✳ Carbon capture for shipping: Engineers Alisha Fredriksson (Sweden/UK) and Roujia Wen (China) built a modular carbon capture system that binds CO₂ into solid limestone pellets, cutting emissions for existing ships.
✳ Turning waste CO₂ into essential fibres: US scientists and twin sisters Neeka and Leila Mashouf developed a process to convert industrial CO₂ into cellulose pulp for sustainable, biodegradable materials, among other applications.
✳ Smarter semiconductor manufacturing: Slovenian researcher Teja Potočnik developed an automated platform to facilitate the manufacture of nanomaterial-based semiconductor devices, paving the way to next-generation microchips and electronics.
