Business and tech innovation
Innovative technologies and business models play a crucial role in increasing energy access in developing markets – by offering localized scalable and sustainable solutions that foster economic growth and empower communities with reliable and affordable energy services.
While the off-grid energy access sector is highly dynamic and constantly evolving, innovations need testing and involve risk. Finding support and risk capital for trialing new business models and technologies, conducting on-the-ground pilots and field trials, or expanding into new markets can be challenging, particularly in emerging markets.
To develop sustainable private sector solutions suited to diverse contexts, we forge partnerships with motivated companies well positioned to tackle systemic barriers to growth in their markets and communities.
Our Venture Building & Advisory arm supports a wide range of energy and productive use of energy businesses across various sectors. This includes enterprises developing products and solutions that harness energy to drive productivity in sectors such as electric mobility, agrifood systems, and rural supply chains; companies pioneering solutions that enhance technology interoperability and compatibility, increasing consumer value, and reducing electronic waste; and companies that manufacture and assemble essential components for key productive equipment locally, reducing reliance on imported goods.
To these companies, we offer a wide range of services:
- Advice on renewable energy technologies and business models.
- Commercial and engineering field trials and pilot studies to test and prove innovations.
- Research and lesson-gathering to unearth new insights into global energy markets.
In addition to technical advisory, we manage innovation grants to small- and medium-sized enterprises on behalf of donors. These grants support innovations in building viable business models; and also in expediting the technical and commercial development of essential electrification, productivity enhancement and household technologies to ultimately reduce costs and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy.
