First-of-its-Kind: 100% Guarantee on Your Direct Investment in Sustainable Energy

Your investment in Carabus is more than just a debut for Lendahand. For the first time in the Netherlands, a partnership with Atradius DSB makes a direct investment in a sustainable energy project via crowdfunding possible, with a 100% guarantee.

Let’s break down each aspect of this collaboration as it represents a unique opportunity which deserves to be highlighted.

 

What are you investing in?

Each Carabus project enables you to invest in companies that produce and distribute sustainable energy products in emerging markets. These companies need cash flow financing to cover their daily operational expenses and continue operating smoothly while awaiting payments from their customers.

The first exporter you’ll invest in through Carabus is the Dutch company Spark. Through the project, you will finance the shipment of Spark Solar Kits to 485 Nigerian households. 

With an investment of, say, €1,000, you’re effectively sending 6 Spark’s Start Solar Kits to households in Nigeria.

 

What is the sustainable impact of Spark?

A Spark Solar Kit is easy to install and removes the need for a grid connection to generate power. These kits include at least one solar panel and a Spark battery, providing families with enough energy for lighting and charging devices.

Once the container arrives, Greenage Africa, a local distributor of solar products, ensures that Spark Solar Kits are installed for many families in rural areas. Spark’s Solar Kits are modular which offer more than typical solar panels, whose batteries might only power a few lamps or a radio. They can be expanded with additional batteries as needed for more appliances, like TVs, fans, radios, security lights, torches and hair clippers.

For shop owner Neema, for instance, his Spark Solar Kit has made a big difference: “I keep my shop lights on from 6:00 p.m. until sunrise. This keeps my shop secure at night since we don’t have much street lighting. We can now also charge our phones and watch television at home! Because I don’t earn much at once, it helps me a lot to be able to pay for the energy kits in small instalments.”

Watch Spark's introductory video for the African market here:

 

Sustainable Sector Development

Spark recognizes that solar energy is only truly sustainable if the technology is recycled or disposed of responsibly, preventing it from becoming electronic waste (e-waste). For this reason, Spark ensures that their products are responsibly managed even at the end of their use.

Due to a lack of affordable e-waste recycling options, Spark found a way to extend the lifespan of their energy kits. With their modular design, they grow with the user’s needs. Customers can easily expand and upgrade their kits by adding batteries to their existing system, creating less e-waste and extending the life of these sustainable energy solutions.

 

How does the guarantee work?

Your investments in Carabus projects are 100% guaranteed. If Carabus is unable to repay the loan, both your principal investment and expected interest remain protected.

This unique guarantee is made possible by Atradius DSB, the administrator of export credit insurance on behalf of the Dutch government. They are mandated to promote international trade through guarantees and offer credit insurance to exporters selling to buyers in politically or economically vulnerable countries.

In collaboration with Carabus, they ensure that the solar panels from Spark, for example, are protected against various risks associated with doing business in Nigeria. This means that your investment in Lendahand’s project is 100% guaranteed.

 

Who is the mastermind behind this project?

Behind the scenes at Lendahand, he’s constantly searching for new solutions to finance sustainable, impactful projects. Some ideas remain concepts, but others become successful realities. This was the case when our CFO, Daniel van Maanen, saw all the pieces come together for Carabus projects:

"It was a major challenge to establish this collaboration. Creating a reliable guarantee structure for investments in Africa isn’t an easy process. But thanks to the unique support of Atradius DSB, we can now be the first Dutch investment platform to offer a 100% guarantee on sustainable energy projects. Partnering with Carabus and Spark to make a difference for millions without electricity access is a fantastic step toward our mission. Lendahand is bridging impact and security - a win-win for our investors and the communities we support."

In the future, Lendahand hopes to expand the collaboration with Carabus to other impact sectors, such as clean cookstoves and water purification systems. We aim to offer more impactful and sustainable investment opportunities to the crowd under this same structure soon.

 

What makes the Carabus x Atradius DSB x Lendahand partnership unique?

• 100% Guarantee on Sustainable Energy Projects: For the first time, crowdfunders on Lendahand can invest in a project with full repayment protection, provided by Atradius DSB on behalf of the Dutch government.
   
• Impactful Export of Dutch Technology: Carabus’s first project finances Spark, which designs the solar home systems in the Netherlands, currently bringing high-quality technology to more than 20 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.
   
• Local Collaboration for Sustainable Distribution: Greenage Africa, a Nigerian distributor, handles the local distribution, installation, and maintenance of the solar energy products.
   
• User and Environmental Flexibility: The modular design of the solar home systems allows users to tailor their kits to their needs, extending their lifespan and reducing e-waste.

Find all guarantee details here.

 

Project Timeline

You can invest in Carabus’s projects for Spark via Lendahand. Once the crowd has funded the project, the container loaded with Spark Solar Kits designed in the Netherlands will set sail. Upon arrival in Nigeria, Greenage Africa’s team will distribute and install the solar home systems for 485 families and entrepreneurs.

Interest begins to accrue on the first day of the month following full project funding. Over 36 months, you will receive a semi-annual repayment of your investment, including interest.

Ready to put solar home systems to work in Nigeria? Find Spark's 100% guaranteed project here on our project page.