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Nigeria’s Koolboks Raises $11 Million to Scale Solar-Powered Refrigeration Across Africa
The company designs solar-powered refrigeration units that pair ice-battery thermal storage with IoT telemetry.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Local Banks Back Sun King’s $156 Million Pay-As-You-Go Solar Financing in Kenya
The scale of this raise highlights Sun King’s leadership in off‑grid energy, but it also accentuates a growing divide in the market.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Four Key Lessons for Implementing PAYGo 2.0: How the PAYGo Solar Sector Can Fulfill its Potential
In response to the recent NextBillion article by Dan Murphy and Willem Nolens at PAYGo Lab, on how companies and investors can move PAYGo solar toward "PAYGo 2.0,” Yariv Cohen at Ignite Energy Access argues that it's time for deep reflection and realignment in the industry. He explains why PAYGo 2.0 — an approach aimed at boosting repayment rates and profitability through improved customer selection and support — is the only way forward for the sector, and shares four lessons Ignite has learned from its efforts to implement this model.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Finance, Investing
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BURN Secures US $5 Million Investment From ElectriFI to Scale Electric Cooking in Kenya
BURN, Africa’s leading clean cookstove manufacturer, distributor, and carbon project developer, has received a USD 5 million investment from EDFI Management Company (EDFI MC) through the EU Funded Electrification Financing Initiative (ElectriFI).
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Ending the Vicious Circle in PAYGo Solar: How Companies and Investors Can Move the Sector Toward ‘PAYGo 2.0’
The Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGo) solar industry is facing decreases in both sales and investment capital, as rising customer default rates are driving a vicious circle of worsened unit economics and higher product prices. However, as Dan Murphy and Willem Nolens at PAYGo Lab explain, some companies are thriving by implementing systems to improve customer selection, education and support — an approach often referred to as "PAYGo 2.0." They analyze the industry’s challenges and share key lessons and best practices that can enhance its operational efficiency, financial resilience and sustainable growth.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Finance, Investing
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Revitalizing Off-Grid Solar: Why Africa’s PAYGo Sector is Ready for a New Dawn
Africa's off-grid solar sector, particularly pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) solar, has passed through a period of disillusionment among investors, as profitability has remained elusive. But as Chris Emmott at Acumen, Audrey Desiderato at Mirova and Bankole Cardoso at Delta40 Venture Studio argue, the sector nevertheless stands on the cusp of becoming a mature industry with real and sustainable impact. They explain why they remain optimistic about the future of PAYGo solar as impact investors, and why it's time for honest conversations and compromise from all stakeholders — including companies and their investors — about how the industry can move into the next stage of its development.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Finance, Investing, Technology
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Vidyut Secures $2.5 Million Funding from Flourish Ventures
Vidyut separates batteries from EV ownership and then offers them on a pay-per-kilometre subscription basis.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology, Transportation
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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MOPO Secures US $7 Million Financing With British International Investment
This is aimed at revolutionising access to sustainable energy for millions of households and businesses across both urban and rural communities in Africa who suffer from unstable or no grid infrastructure.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology, Transportation
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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