29/07/2026
For Bogadi Pako Letsile, innovation is about solving real industrial and environmental problems at scale.
Through Nanopula, Bogadi is developing a nanomaterial platform engineered to selectively recover valuable elements from complex industrial environments. From mineral recovery in mine tailings to carbon removal applications in industry and ocean alkalinity, the company is building technology designed to turn waste streams into economic opportunity.
Her vision is to anchor climate and economic sustainability from Africa to the rest of the world.
Like many deep-tech founders, Bogadi discovered that groundbreaking ideas alone are not enough. Access to laboratories, scientific validation, industry networks, and investor confidence are often the barriers that determine whether innovation survives past concept stage.
That is where UVU Bio became a partner in Nanopula’s journey. As part of the Shared Laboratory and Incubation Pilot in partnership with the TIA Bioprocessing Platform, Bogadi gained access to the infrastructure and support needed to validate Nanopula’s technology and move customer conversations from theoretical potential to structured commercial interest.
A materials and nanochemistry specialist from Botswana, Bogadi is part of a rising generation of African deep-tech founders building globally relevant climate technologies from the continent. She is a Kijani Accelerator alumnus who is currently in the African Carbon Removal Accelerator cohort 2026 and has participated in the Forbes Under 30 Summit Africa ecosystem through the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre, as part of the global entrepreneurship network.
Apart from building Nanopula, she is also active in the innovation ecosystem as a mentor, speaker, and judge, supporting young innovators and girls in STEM as they enter entrepreneurship and science-led fields.
“Customers require proof of concept to commit, while investors require market validation to fund you and you need both to succeed,” she explains.
With access to laboratory facilities, mentorship, facilitation support, and ecosystem exposure through initiatives like SWEAT Africa, Nanopula was able to transition from pitching assumptions to presenting validated science investors could believe in.
Her work has already gained recognition across the African innovation ecosystem, including placing fifth at SWEAT Africa, where she showcased Nanopula’s climate-tech solutions to investors, founders, and industry leaders.
Nanopula’s story shows what becomes possible when innovators are given the right support systems. Through incubation, infrastructure, and ecosystem partnerships, UVU Bio is helping founders like Bogadi prove that African science is investable, scalable, and world-changing.
