Nigerian clean energy startup Salpha Energy has secured $1.3 million in funding from All On, an impact investment firm supported by Shell, People of Color in Tech (POCIT) reports. The funding will help Salpha Energy advance its mission of delivering dependable and affordable solar power to underserved communities across Africa. Notably, Salpha Energy is the only female-founded company in sub-Saharan Africa operating a solar home system assembly facility. Investment To Fuel Solar Growth And Innovation The $1.3 million investment will scale Salpha Energy’s operations, expand its product offerings, and strengthen its local assembly infrastructure. The company’s solar power solutions in Africa, ranging from 150Wp to 100kWp systems with battery storage and smart inverters, have already reached more than 2 million people, helping to make clean energy more accessible and affordable, according to POCIT. “This capital raise is a huge step forward in our vision to power homes and businesses...

The phrase “NEPA took the light” is something that you hear quite often in Nigeria. The acronym stands for the National Electric Power Authority, the former name for the company that keeps the power running in the country. Now, named the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, electricity cutting off sporadically continues to be an ongoing issue. In 2014, Beacon Power Services (BPS) founder and chief executive officer Bimbola Adisa launched his company to help improve electricity access in not only Nigeria but across Africa, TechCrunch reports. A report says that in 2020, 77 percent of Sub-Saharan African countries had no access to electricity, having to turn to alternatives like generators. After eight years invested in providing energy management software and analytics for utilities, BPS has recently raised $2.7 million, according to the outlet. “Africa is home to the fastest growing cities in the world, but when most people think of energy access in Africa, they think of the rural...