From the beginning, our ambition has been bigger than a sauce: build a value chain that is genuinely East African, end to end. Ugandan pineapples, Ugandan production, Ugandan talent. Today we can share a step in that direction: we are in discussions with Makerere University — Uganda's leading university — about producing and bottling our sauces at its Food Technology and Business Incubation Center (FTBIC), under a two-year incubation framework.
What the FTBIC is
The FTBIC is Makerere University's dedicated platform for turning food innovations into viable businesses. Incubated companies get access to food-grade production facilities, technical expertise and enterprise support for up to two years, in exchange for a monthly fee and a royalty on sales — a model designed to graduate companies into standalone operations, not keep them dependent.
Why it matters for DRIP LAB
- Production capacity without heavy capex. Professional food-processing infrastructure from day one, so we can scale output for our lodge customers while keeping our capital focused on ingredients, packaging and market development.
- Technical rigour. Working inside a university food technology centre means process discipline, food safety expertise and support on the road to UNBS Q-mark certification.
- Young Ugandan talent. This is the part we care about most. Producing within Makerere's ecosystem means working alongside and employing young Ugandans — food scientists, technicians, graduates — and contributing skills and opportunity where our ingredients come from.
100% East Africa
Pineapples grown in Uganda. Recipes developed by our chef co-founder in Kampala. Production and bottling in a Ugandan university facility. Packaging sourced within the region. Customers across Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. That's the model — and a partnership with Makerere would be a major building block.
Discussions are ongoing, and we'll share the outcome here as soon as there is one. Transparency means sharing the journey, not just the wins.
Écrit par
Thomas Claessens