authentic.network and aak-GROW sign €3.2 million memorandum at the German-African Business Summit

Nairobi, 3 December 2024 –

At the German-African Business Summit (GABS) 2024 in Nairobi, the Kenyan umbrella organisation aak-GROW and authentic.network signed a memorandum of understanding in the presence of Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Robert Habeck. The agreement, valued at €3.2 million, starts a strategic partnership: authentic.network will supply copy-evident labels to secure the products of aak-GROW's members against counterfeiting and to make authenticity verifiable for farmers and distributors with any smartphone.

Economic and social impact

According to aak-GROW, members of the association currently lose around 30 percent of their annual revenue to counterfeit products – about 15 billion Kenyan shillings (€110 million). Securing these revenues protects legal jobs, the families that depend on them and public tax income, and it protects farmers from inputs that do not work.

This collaboration not only secures the future of our businesses but also reinforces consumer trust in the quality of our products.Eric Kimunguyi, CEO, aak-GROW

The technology

authentic.network's patented Crypto-Optical Technology places a security layer in the printed structure of a product's code. A reprint or photograph breaks that structure and fails verification, while the original passes. Consumers scan the code with any smartphone to check authenticity and to access product information; every scan is recorded with time and location, which lets the association see where products are verified and where counterfeits appear.

It is a great honour to present our vision at the German-African Business Summit alongside Federal Minister Robert Habeck. For us as a company this is a significant milestone. Together with aak-GROW, we aim to drive real change and create sustainable solutions.Frank Theeg, CEO, authentic.network

A blueprint for national security seals

The partnership is intended as a blueprint for broader initiatives: national security seals that protect products and documents against counterfeiting across an entire economy. Such a seal strengthens businesses, creates legal employment, increases tax revenue, protects consumers from health risks and disrupts criminal networks.

The signing took place during the German-African Business Summit, a platform for deepening economic relations between Germany and African countries.