Brenya Isaac
Co-founder & CEO — leads Ecovon's strategy, fundraising, partnerships, and international expansion, bringing experience in venture building, business leadership, and sustainable manufacturing.
The problem
Conventional wood panels drive deforestation and rely on toxic resins.
The furniture and construction industries rely heavily on MDF, plywood, and particleboard made with timber and formaldehyde-based resins. These materials contribute to deforestation, expose workers and consumers to harmful chemicals, and face increasing regulatory pressure. At the same time, millions of tonnes of coconut husks and other agricultural residues are burned or discarded instead of being put to productive use.
Ecovon's approach
Turning agricultural waste into sustainable building materials.
Ecovon converts coconut husks and sugarcane bagasse into durable engineered boards using a proprietary thermo-mechanical process that activates the biomass's natural lignin. This creates strong, formaldehyde-free boards without synthetic adhesives, producing a biodegradable material suitable for furniture, interior design, construction, and packaging. By eliminating toxic binders while using agricultural waste as feedstock, Ecovon offers manufacturers a circular, climate-positive alternative to conventional wood panels.
Where it's used
Validated in Ghana, commercialising internationally.
Ecovon supplies furniture manufacturers, interior fit-out companies, construction firms, and packaging businesses. The company has validated its product in Ghana and established commercial relationships in the UK, France, and the United States through pilot customers, signed distribution agreements, and materials libraries.
Impact
Why it matters.
Safer materials, less deforestation, and new value from agricultural waste.
Reduces deforestation
Replaces timber-based panels with products made entirely from agricultural waste.
Eliminates toxic chemicals
Produces formaldehyde-free boards that improve indoor air quality and worker safety.
Creates circular value
Transforms coconut husks and sugarcane bagasse into high-value construction materials while reducing agricultural waste and carbon emissions.
Partners & ecosystem
Partnerships across manufacturing, research, and distribution.
Ecovon has built partnerships across manufacturing, research, and distribution, including MTRL Library (UK), MatériO' (Paris), TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), Ejura Design Ltd, RTC, DSM-NIAGA, the World Bank (Ghana Climate Innovation Center), UNDP, Tony Elumelu Foundation, ISC3, and Venture for ClimateTech.
