Projects
- Acumen
- Albero della Vita
- AROH Foundation
- Ashden
- Bala Vikasa
- Banco dell'Energia
- Catalyse Change CIC
- COREDA
- COOPI
- Depher CIC
- Dream Renewables
- Empower Malawi
- Etifor
- FINCA UK
- Francesca Rava Foundation
- Frutti dell'Albero
- GivePower
- Humanitas
- Istituto Oikos
- Makomborero
- Mwezi Foundation
- One Tree Planted
- Open Kitchens
- Pop-Up Fuel Bank
- Renewable World
- SolarAid
- Soleterre
- Solvatten
- Sopowerful Foundation
- VoltaView
- Russia-Ukraine War Response
- COVID-19: Health
- COVID-19: Livelihoods
- COVID-19: Schools
Acumen
Location: India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria and Ghana
In 2016, Acumen launched the $20M Pioneer Energy Investment Initiative (PEII) to ramp up their investment in off-grid energy companies between 2017-2020. The geographical focus is India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria and Ghana. NextEnergy Foundation first contributed to the PEII in 2018. The aim is to reach 2.8 million people with affordable, renewable energy sources by 2026 through three focus areas: solar home systems in new markets; solar and hybrid mini-grids, and innovations for energy use.
Since lauching the PEII in 2017, Acumen has invested more than $7 million into eight pioneering companies. These investments – which include PEG, Easy Solar, KopaGas, PowerGen, RVE.SOL, Promethean Power Systems and Simusolar – have together reached more than 675,000 people.
Location: India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria and Ghana
In 2019, NextEnergy Foundation renewed its commitment to supporting Acumen. We are currently exploring potential partnerships with some of the organisations which the PEII helped to establish in order to scale the impact of innovative renewable energy companies even further.
Acumen has indicated to NEF that as of the end of 2019, the PEII’s portfolio companies reached over 122m people, mostly through cooking companies, mini-grids and solar home system companies. Acumen is seeking to focus its investments on local entrepreneurs, and the aim for the PEII is to invest 40% of the funds in the initiatives to do so. There is also a drive to ensure that the products/services provided by the PEII’s portfolio companies are made equally available to men and women, thus significantly contributing to SDG 5: Gender Equality.