University of Rwanda
giih@ur.ac.rw Kigali, Rwanda
Water & IoT

GIRAMAX Ltd

GIRAMAX Ltd — AI digital twin for water utilities. Cut leakage 99%, fix leaks in 3 hrs. 25-yr BOT model. Target WASAC & MEA operators. GIIH Cohort 3.

GIRAMAX Ltd delivers an AI-based digital twinning solution for water utilities — minimizing leakage by up to 99% while maximizing profitability, reliability, sustainability, and water availability. Founded by Eng. Gerard Ndikumana. A GIIH Cohort 3 venture.

  • Cohort: GIIH Cohort 3
  • Status: Prototype & market validation stage
  • Product: AI digital twin for water distribution networks
  • Model: 25-year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract
  • Sector: Water & IoT utilities
GIRAMAX Ltd AI-based water leakage minimization solution
GIRAMAX Ltd — AI digital solution for water utilities. GIIH Cohort 3 pitch.

The problem

Rwanda’s water sector faces three major loss drivers:

  • Water leakage from aging and damaged distribution pipes
  • Illegal connections bypassing meters on the water main
  • Metering inaccuracies and blocked meters

Impact: More than 42% of potable water is lost (RURA, 2021) — costing utilities an estimated 10 billion RWF per year, driving high customer invoices and unsustainable tax subsidies.

Water leakage, illegal connections and metering losses in Rwanda

Digital solution

GIRAMAX’s AI-based digital twinning platform connects smart meters (AMR), GPRS networks, web and mobile apps to monitor the full water distribution system in real time.

  • Cut water leakage by 99%
  • Predict water demand per neighbourhood and supply via decentralized storage 24/7
  • Locate leaks and enable repairs within 3 hours
  • Automated billing via mobile apps, with household leak detection for customers
GIRAMAX smart metering, digital twin and mobile billing platform

Business model

25-year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract with water utility operators.

Pricing model:

  • Base price covering capital and operational cost recovery
  • $1/customer/month — equitably distributed profit
  • $1/customer/month — equitably distributed sustainable renovation fund
GIRAMAX 25-year BOT contract and pricing model

Unique value

Maximizes: profit · water availability · sustainability · reliability

Eliminates: water leakage · illegal connections · metering inaccuracies and blocks

GIRAMAX value proposition maximizing utility performance

Target market

Water utility operators across Africa and the Middle East with existing subscribers facing similar challenges to WASAC (Water and Sanitation Corporation, Rwanda).

WASAC connection base:

  • Residential: 236,139
  • Non-residential: 15,417
  • Industrial: 273
  • Public water taps: 5,339
Target market of water utility operators in Africa and Middle East

Cash flow projection

After 25 years of BOT operation (e.g. Vision City scale deployment):

  • $76,039,179 cumulative profit
  • $76,039,179 allocated to sustainability renovation
25-year profit and sustainability cash flow projection

Implementation roadmap

  1. Prototyping & validation — $1,000–$25,000
  2. PPP/BOT agreement — negotiate and sign with WASAC
  3. Seed capital — raise $200,000 (Google startup network)
  4. BOT implementation — deploy full system
  5. Scale — replicate to other utility operators across MEA
GIRAMAX implementation roadmap from prototype to MEA scale

Team

Gender balance 50% · 100% proven technical capability

  • Eng. Gerard Ndikumana — Founder · MEng Energy Resources Engineering · GDip Mining Engineering · BSc (Hons) Civil Engineering (water resources management)
  • Eng. Aimable Ndahayo — Associate · BSc/MEng Mechanical Engineering · PhD candidate
  • Rosine Karanganwa — Associate · BSc (Hons) Computer Science (UI/UX, apps, database management)
  • Ms. Victoire Uwase — Associate · BSc (Hons) · Master’s candidate Cyber Security at CMU
GIRAMAX Ltd founding team