Gulf solar startup raises Sh200m for Africa expansion

United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based off-grid solar start-up Pawame has raised $2 million (Sh200 million) in funding through Gulf-based investors to expand its operations in Kenya and other African countries.

Pawame (pronounced “power me”) is seeking to reach remote areas of the continent with solar energy, having already connected 20,000 people.

The firm aims to electrify 150 million households in sub-Saharan Africa that do not have access to grid power.

It says it provides cost-effective pay-as-you-go solar home systems on a micro-finance basis, “making it affordable for everyone.”

The company did not disclose the investors in the capital raising, but said its largest shareholders were senior executives at the largest power utility companies in the Middle East.

“We are delighted with this strong response from our investors. The funding raised will allow us to further accelerate our current growth momentum by expanding the Pawame’s footprint in Kenya and other parts of Africa,” said Alexandre Allegue, chairman and co-founder of Pawame.

READ: Kenya solar power firms to get Sh7.5bn funding for plants

By financing power access through loans in remote areas, it also collects data on credit history.

“Pawame’s business model is to grow sustainably, acquiring customers with its solar home system and collecting reliable data to build a trusted credit history,” Pawame CEO Maurice Parets said.

“The company leverages customer’s credit scores as a gateway to providing families access to further life-enhancing products and services such as loans, insurance and access to TV/Internet.”

Solar experts reckon that Kenya, like most African countries, has high potential for solar energy generation given high radiation levels from the sun throughout the year.

The intensity of sunlight, not heat levels, determines solar electricity production. Kenya’s total installed power capacity is 2,370 megawatts, with solar power accounting for less than one per cent.