I&P is proud to announce a major step in the development of two of its portfolio companies, Socium and Solarbox, which have just successfully raised strategic funds. These operations mark a decisive turning point for these innovative companies, which are committed to accelerating access to sustainable energy and digital solutions for African populations.
Solarbox is a small Senegalese company that began operations in 2022. The company operates in the electric mobility sector, more specifically in the production of 2- and 3-wheel electric vehicles for transporting goods or people. Solarbox's electric vehicles feature a digital component for tracking and data collection. The offer is easily accessible thanks to a monthly leasing model.
The entrepreneur
Tijan WATT, co-founder and Managing Partner of Wuri Ventures since 2017, is the CEO of Solarbox. A dual Senegalese and American national, he graduated from the prestigious Harvard Business School in 2007 with an MBA. He has more than 15 years of professional/entrepreneurial experience to his credit, as well as solid fund-raising skills.
Partnership with I&P and Teranga Capital
Solarbox is supported by I&P Digital Energy, a 4.8 million euro program to finance and support a dozen start-ups and SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa offering digital solutions for access to affordable energy, backed by AFD and the EU.
In Senegal, this program is implemented by Teranga Capital.
The objectives for this start-up are to :
Founded in 2020, IBRIZ is a company operating in the renewable energy sector and more specifically in the AgriTech sub-sector with a focus on the productive use of solar energy in agriculture. Its aim is to support small-scale farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa by leveraging technology with an innovative business model. IBRIZ uses proven technologies to build an ecosystem that will impact the lives of small-scale farmers by enabling access to solar water irrigation systems.
Entrepreneurs
The company's vision is driven by two entrepreneurs, Bou Diarra and Serigne Sam Ndao, co-founders of IBRIZ. They have over 15 years of professional entrepreneurial experience to their credit.
Partnership with I&P and Teranga Capital
IBRIZ is supported by I&P Digital Energy, a 4.8 million euro program to finance and support a dozen start-ups and SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa offering digital solutions for access to affordable energy, backed by AFD and the EU. In Senegal, this program is implemented by Teranga Capital.
The objectives of this SME are
I&P is thrilled to announce the release of its Annual Impact Report for the year 2023.
The report offers a comprehensive overview of I&P's activities, achievements, and impact throughout the year, showcasing the growth and transformational changes spurred by the organization's commitment to entrepreneurship in Africa.
The anual impact report notably covers an overall look at I&P's activities and a detailed review of our impact, following our 6 impact pillars
Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) group, the European Union and Gaia Impact Fund are proud to announce the first companies financed through I&P Digital Energy : Solarly and Innovex.
Founded in 2016, Solarly is a Cameroonian company supplying off-grid solar energy solutions (not connected to the traditional electricity grid): it offers its solutions in rural and urban areas with a focus on energy needs for productive use (health centers, schools, small industries) but also for basic household electrical needs.
Its leading products are :
-The SolarlyBox, a stand-alone off-grid solar system that supplies continuous energy by connecting solar panels, batteries and various equipment (fridge, television, telephone charging cable). The SolarlyBox is a connected object (Internet of Things), enabling :
-AC Kits, combinations of components, integrated and marketed in a standardized way to meet the most frequent needs, such as :
Today, it is estimated that more than 20,000 people are impacted by the Solarly product, either directly (households) or indirectly (hotels, health centers and schools).
The entrepreneur
Julien Riat is 31 years old and originally from Belgium. After graduating in Economics and Business Administration from the Université Catholique de Louvain (2012) and in International Business from EPHEC (2014) in Belgium, he joined an association that assists disabled children. He then joined Travis and Lloyd as a Business Developer. At a very young age, he embarked on the Solarly adventure with two of his friends. The three of them formed the basis of the project, later joined by other partners.
Partnership with I&P
Solarly is supported by I&P through I&P Digital Energy. The aim of the funding is to :
Expected impacts
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