Meet IRADUKUNDA, one of the innovators from the Data Driven Incubation Hub behind CLIMAVISE

Iradukunda Moise joined the Data Driven Incubation Hub in 2023 with the idea of developing CLIMAVISE, an integrated climate intelligence system that delivers timely, data-driven insights to support sustainable agriculture and environmental protection.

To bring his idea to life, Iradukunda founded Heliocentric System Group (HSG), a private company.

The CLIMAVISE mobile platform offers a wide range of features, including geospatial monitoring of forests, agricultural zones, and land-use changes; AI-powered crop disease and pest detection using image recognition; illegal activity reporting (such as logging, mining, and encroachment); policy dashboards for planners and government agencies; reforestation monitoring; and data support for carbon and ESG tracking, among others.

Iradukunda’s inspiration dates back to his secondary school years, after witnessing natural disasters that affected his community.

“I was inspired by the disaster in 2018 that struck my district, causing devastating landslides triggered by heavy rainfall. The disaster claimed lives, destroyed homes, displaced families, and disrupted education for many, including my fellow students,” he recalls.

He further explains: “Similar events in areas like the Sebeya River basin in Rubavu have shown how climate change, driven partly by unsustainable land use and industrial activity, continues to harm vulnerable communities.”

CLIMAVISE seeks to address pressing challenges such as delayed detection of crop diseases and pests, which lead to yield losses and food insecurity, illegal deforestation and land encroachment, causing ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss, unregulated land use, which disrupts sustainable planning, reduces land productivity, and accelerates environmental decline.

Iradukunda is among many innovators receiving mentorship and coaching services at the Data Driven Incubation Hub of the African Centre of Excellence in Data Science (ACE-DS).

Established in 2021 at the African Centre of Excellence in Data Science, the Data Driven Incubation Hub supports innovators by equipping them with essential skills and providing a platform to test data-driven solutions in real-life environments. It works with commercially viable entities to launch companies and products into national, regional, and international markets.

The Hub offers young innovators and entrepreneurs a wide range of business development services, including but not limited to business idea analysis and diagnostics, mentorship, product and prototype development, registration services, workstation facilities, specialized training, market access, pitching opportunities, and networking activities.