Nigerian inventor behind the creation of a smoke-free stove
Max Chinnah, a Nigerian native from Abuja, developed a smoke-free stove aimed at addressing the global issue of indoor pollution. He cited his attendance at the Clinton Global Initiative conference in Miami as the inspiration behind his journey into the realm of invention.
He pursued a degree in computer science at Wartburg College, located in Iowa, United States.
The cookstove was engineered to transform fuel into clean energy, featuring an air injection system to regulate smoke production. This convection-based process enables the stove to power USB devices within approximately seven minutes of heating.
Named Genesys, the cooker boasts a versatile design that accommodates various cookware, providing flexibility in its usage. Max Chinnah and Godwin Attigah established Terraoak Inc. in 2009 to develop the Genesys Cooker.
Chinnah, who conceived the stove at the age of 26, received a scholarship in 2011 that facilitated his enrollment at Wartburg College. His motivation to address indoor smoke pollution stemmed from personal tragedy, as his grandmother succumbed to smoke-related ailments at a young age.
In 2016, Chinnah garnered a $10,000 Innovation Prize at Unite for Sight’s Global Health and Innovation Conference at Yale University. This funding supported field trials conducted in Ghana.
He secured funding from The Resolution Project, Duke Energy, and the Iowa Renewable Energy Association. Additionally, he emerged victorious in an innovation video competition sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Terraoak secured seed funding from Red Cedar, a local organization dedicated to facilitating connections between startups and entrepreneurial resources.
The smokeless stove is among numerous innovations emerging from Nigeria, including a solar-powered kiosk designed by Usman Dalhatu, a Nigerian engineering graduate.
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