Urban Transporters are the lifeblood of cities. They move people and goods in urban settings. This is why Urban Transporters are a critical component to the Shell Foundation’s mission to empower 60 million people with income generating energy access by 2032. Harnessing data and information To achieve our mission, Shell Foundation puts an emphasis on…
A swappable battery network has promising potential to transform how renewable electricity is generated, distributed and consumed in sub-Saharan Africa. Shell Foundation’s partner, Kofa Holdings, has produced a white paper outlining the potential benefits. Benefits to the customer With funding and support from Shell Foundation and the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, through their…
Last week, a delegation of six Shell Foundation staff attended New York Climate Week. The goals of the team were to understand current trends, opportunities and challenges in steering international finance into emerging markets. Through a series of events, group and 1-to-1 meetings with aligned organisations, the team were able to progress several conversations that…
Over several years, Shell Foundation has built a track record of building innovative approaches to incorporate a gender-inclusive lens in the distributed renewable energy sector. We want to see a future where the energy transition is just, inclusive, and equitable – leaving no-one behind. We believe this makes businesses and our global society stronger. Women…
Although battery usage across Africa has been increasing in recent years and has contributed significantly to the rise of electricity access in Africa from 25% to 47% of the population, key challenges still need to be addressed in order to serve the remaining 600 million people who lack access to electricity. The high cost of…
Shell Foundation partner Kofa’s multi-purpose battery network has recently featured in articles in both CleanTechnica and Medium demonstrating how urban transporters and micro-entrepreneurs across Africa can lower costs and increase productivity through access to clean energy tech. Based in Ghana – with funding from SF and UK Aid from the UK government under its Transforming…
Eighty percent of the fisherfolk on the coast of Kochi in Kerala, India use motorised boats. But the fuel, maintenance and repair costs are cutting into the income of the community and contributing to a large amount of carbon emissions from fossil fuels. Despite having the highest net operating income among the coastal states, Kerala…
Interest in harnessing business potential in Africa is growing year-on-year. The total amount of venture capital (VC) investment on the continent grew to between US$4.3 billion and US$5 billion in 2021, a 16-fold increase from 2017. However, the distribution of the funding is uneven. The landscape of start-ups successfully accessing funding is dominated by non-African…
KEY FACTS Built and launched India’s first solar ferry, the Aditya Won the Guastave Trouve Award for ‘Worlds Best Electric Ferry’ in 2020 Transported over 1.5 million passengers across backwaters without a single drop of fuel Building India’s first solar electric fishing boats Navalt designs and builds solar electric boats for safe and affordable travel…
Our experience working with access-to-energy (A2E) and sustainable mobility (SM) start-ups in Africa has shown a market gap where lack of access to early-stage support constrains access to funding for African-led start-ups in the sectors. Effective mentorship has been shown to increase the chances of start-up success by up to three times. Co-funded by UK…