The Uganda Off-Grid Energy Market Accelerator (UOMA) is a neutral intermediary focused on accelerating the growth of off-grid energy access in Uganda to enable universal energy access. SF co-created UOMA in 2017 in partnership with USAID, Power Africa and the UK Government, to be implemented by Open Capital Advisors, a management consultancy headquartered in Nairobi,…
Key Facts 30 member companies, including innovative start-ups and established utilities Operations in Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria with members across 15 countries Minigrids represent a $190 billion investment opportunity between now and 2030 (International Energy Agency (IEA)) As the first trade association dedicated exclusively to the minigrid sector, AMDA’s work focuses in three main areas:…
SF portfolio partner SunCulture recently announced the launch of its latest generation of solar-powered irrigation tool, RainMaker2, with a new ‘Internet of Things (IoT) capability that will help to boost the productivity of the world’s 570 million smallholder farming families. RainMaker2 offers more than double the amount of water than its predecessor and a longer…
Since 2017 we have been working with Calvert Impact Capital to encourage a gender-lens in investment, based on the clear evidence that a gender inclusive strategy leads to better performing investments and a more equitable and sustainable world. In this new report, Calvert demonstrate how it is not just the numbers of women in leadership and board…
Rent to Own (RTO) has successfully completed a seed round of $1.05m in equity, enabling it to grow its provision of high-impact assets to small scale-entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers in rural Zambia. The round was led by shareholder AHL Venture Partners, who significantly increased its investment, and supported by Small Foundation and Jordan Engineering (via…
In 2014, around 80% of Uganda’s population, or approximately 30.9 million people, lacked access to the grid network and in rural areas the electrification rate was as low as 10%. Grid extension is often not a financially viable option for areas sparsely populated or hard to reach and off-grid energy solutions, like solar home systems…
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the lifeblood of most economies, and especially the Indian economy. In India, over 42 million SMEs comprise a staggering 95% of the total industrial business entities in the country, employing about 40% of India’s workforce and generating nearly a quarter of service sector GDP. With one million people entering…
CreditEnable has recently entered a strategic partnership with the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which could help 70 million Indian traders to access affordable finance to invest in, and grow, their businesses. “We are delighted to partner with CAIT on this important initiative,” said Nadia Sood, CreditEnable’s CEO. “While there is a considerable supply…
SF portfolio enterprise Sure Chill recently received recognition for its innovative cooling technology after winning the UK Eagle Lab Innovation category at the Barclays’ annual High-Growth & Entrepreneur Awards. The awards celebrate entrepreneurs’ success, leadership and positive impact on society. Sure Chill has developed and patented unique technology that enables cooling equipment to maintain a…
To date, minigrids and decentralised utilities are reaching only a fraction of a percent (0.2%) of households with energy access in sub-Saharan Africa. In the first of a series of reports on the potential of decentralised utilities to bring in a new era in energy access, this SF report looks at the last ten years…