{"id":341658,"date":"2025-12-13T07:55:59","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T07:55:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/angel-investor\/unlocking-solar-power-in-emerging-markets\/"},"modified":"2025-12-13T07:55:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T07:55:59","slug":"unlocking-solar-power-in-emerging-markets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=341658","title":{"rendered":"Unlocking Solar Power in Emerging Markets"},"content":{"rendered":"


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MPower<\/span><\/a> is a FinTech and Climate Impact startup that revolutionizes energy access in emerging markets by providing SMEs and households with small-scale solar solutions. They\u2019ve built a B2B platform to deliver green energy and cleantech products to Africans living in hard-to-reach and peri-urban areas. Learn more about the problems they\u2019re trying to solve, their growth potential, and their live round on <\/span>Leapfunder<\/span><\/a>.
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<\/span>1. Hi Manuel, thank you for agreeing to do the interview. Tell us about <\/b>MPower<\/b><\/a>, the idea that got it all started, and the amazing team behind it.
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<\/span>While developing utility-scale and commercial & industrial (C&I) solar projects in Africa, I experienced the challenges of energy access and financial inclusion and realized that a huge market potential exists. I was convinced that it would be possible to develop a scalable and effective solution when applying the right business model. Abundant solar resources in Africa, coupled with declining prices for solar technology and storage, make decentralized solar energy the predestined alternative to fossil fuel energy products.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, I teamed up with my Co-Founders Michael, Greg, and Alejandro joined soon after. We have since then grown the team to 35 people with diverse backgrounds in sales, business development, finance, software, and on-the-ground experience and expertise in Africa. The majority of the team is based in Africa with operations in Zambia, Togo, Cameroon, Namibia, and Ghana. One of the common factors that drive the team is that we are all strong believers in the potential of the private sector to create sustainable value and economic growth (rather than only NGOs and other non-profit organizations) in emerging markets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So we\u2019ve created a <\/span>FinTech and Climate Impact startup<\/span><\/a> that\u2019s building a platform to deliver green energy and cleantech products to Africans living in hard-to-reach and peri-urban areas. I\u2019m particularly proud of the team and our hands-on, goal-driven approach and the fact that we\u2019ve already sold over 28,000 units in seven Sub-Saharan African countries as well as built the infrastructure to scale further. By following this approach, we are developing a for-profit and scalable business with a clear social and environmental impact. This has and continues to motivate us day by day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What problems are you trying to solve? What are the benefits of MPower<\/a>, and why is your startup a product-market fit?<\/b><\/p>\n

In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), 500M people still lack access to electricity, and many more are connected to unreliable grids. Underserved households and SMEs in SSA rely on expensive, and unreliable fossil fuel-based products that have a significant health and climate impact. In parallel, about 1.7B people globally are financially excluded, limiting their ability to purchase life-improving products, with >50% coming from developing economies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Simultaneously, prices for solar energy and storage have fallen by more than 80% since the 2000s and these technologies \u2013 solar and storage \u2013 have become the preferred power source. However, several challenges inhibit growth in the market:<\/span>
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