M-KOPA Solar has been recognised as a top 100 global clean technology company in the 2014 Global Cleantech 100 awards.
The Nairobi-based market leader in ‘pay-as-you-go’ energy services for off-grid homes has powered up 100,000 homes in East Africa with clean, affordable solar home systems – which are paid for using mobile money since its launch two years ago.
In one month alone M-KOPA Solar households generate over 12.5 million hours of kerosene-free lighting. M-KOPA Solar households will also make combined projected savings of US$75 millionSh6.5 billion – based on Sh65,250 savings made by a single household, compared to Kerosene usage over a four- year period.
Jesse Moore, co-founder and managing director, M-KOPA Solar says, “M-KOPA Solar is designed around a game-changing technology – mobile money. We saw that being able to move a small amount of money around, at a low cost, could revolutionise energy access. We now offer world-class solar energy systems, collecting payments in small amounts and allowing customers to choose when and how much they pay.”
Global Cleantech 100 is a comprehensive list of for-profit private companies with the highest potential to make the most significant market impact. This list is collated by combining Cleantech Group research data, with weighted qualitative judgments of hundreds of nominations. There are specific inputs from a global 84-person expert panel, drawn from leading financial investors and representatives of multi-national corporations and industrials active in technology and innovation scouting across Asia, Europe, and North America.
“The Global Cleantech 100 represents the most inspiring array of entrepreneurs across the Cleantech space that are at the forefront of innovation,” says Sheeraz Haji, Cleantech Group’s CEO.
This year, a record number of nominations were received: 5,995 distinct companies from 60 countries participated. These companies were weighted and scored to create a short list of 327 companies. Short-listed nominees were reviewed by Cleantech Group’s expert panel, resulting in a finalised list of 100 companies from 17 countries.