key facts Completed Africa’s first finance transaction for mini-grids, to finance 60 projects in Tanzania and bring power to around 34,000 people Mini-grids in Tanzania bring first time productive use power to over 5,000 people CrossBoundary Energy Access (CBEA) is a pioneering blended finance facility for mini-grids. They invest blended capital directly into mini-grid…
Key Facts Provided IT solutions to 18+ early stage companies serving over 130,000 households and small businesses Enabled the largest micro-grid in Nigeria with online contracting system Enable.digital is an IT solutions firm that provides technology/product agnostic IT strategy and implementation to social enterprises working throughout Africa. They help social enterprises and SMEs to select…
Key Facts Piloting the world’s first battery packs designed specifically for off-grid energy storage, with leading off-grid solar companies in East Africa Re-purposes ‘end of life’ batteries from developed markets to provide storage or power Lithium battery packs more cost effective and environmentally friendly than standard lead acid versions Aceleron addresses energy storage challenges faced…
Key Facts Operating four mini-grids in Uganda and Rwanda 230kW mini-grid on Kitobo Island, Uganda powers 650 homes, where previously only nine received power from a diesel generator Raising a $250m impact fund leveraging a first loss $50m soft commitment from the UNFCCC’s Green Climate Fund Absolute Energy is an off-grid utility developer that educates…
key facts 6500+ For every dollar invested by Aavishkaar, its portfolio companies have raised 4x follow-on capital Ranked in top three global social impact funds alongside Dell Foundation and Omidyar Network based on number of investments in 2017 (source: Tracxn) Aavishkaar Venture Management Services (AVMS), part of the Aavishkaar-Intellecap Group, is a multi-product financial services…
Technology firm and SF partner Sure Chill joined UK Prime Minister Theresa May on a 4-day trade mission across three African markets last week, to promote their technology and build trade and investment links. Sure Chill has developed a unique new cooling technology approved by the World Health Organisation that ensures a refrigerator remains perfectly…
Results Based Financing (RBF) programmes have attempted in the past to provide funding for minigrids, but many of them have struggled to disburse the funding effectively. African Minigrid Developers Association’s (AMDA’s) members have participated in many of these programmes and collated their experience of what has worked and what has not worked into a policy…
The Democratic Republic of Congo represents one of the most challenging frontier markets to work in, with no or poor access to energy. In August 2017, we supported UK company Bboxx, alongside the UK Government, USAID and Power Africa, to pilot their off grid solution in the city of Goma, on the eastern border of the…
Read the business first approach report on gender inclusion (PDF 25.1MB).
GroFin is an impact investment fund manager focused on small and growing businesses serving low-income communities. This latest report provides an overview of what they have accomplished so far and explains their plans for 2018. Shell Foundation partnered with GroFin in 2004 to co-create an innovative integrated solution business model to address the needs of…