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Kenya

SolarNow B.V. 8

  • SolarNow
  • Invest in a business
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  • With EUR 175,000 SolarNow can install 100 waterpumps at farms and 120 solar home systems in family houses in Kenya.

    €175,000
    Amount
    5.00%
    Interest
    24 months
    Maturity
    6 months
    Repayments
    EUR
    Currency
    Amount€175,000
    Interest5.00%
    Maturity24 months
    Repayments6 months
    CurrencyEUR
      100%
      Fully funded in 6 hours on 23 November 2018.

      Summary

      IMPORTANT NOTE: high risk product - direct loan to solar power product distribution company. No local partner in between to cover risks. 

      Basic info: 

      Issuer: SolarNow B.V.  
      Currency:  EURO 
      Amount: 175,000 (senior debt) 
      Interest: 5% p.a.

      Maturity: 24 months, semi-annually and linearly amortizing 

      Non-recall period: N.A. issuer is allowed to repay the loan early at all times against a 2% penalty fee on the amount prepaid. In case the company sells more than 50% of its shares, no penalty fee will apply if prepayment occures. 

      Direct loan 

      This is a direct loan to a company (rather than lending to a financial institution) and therefore it is recommendable that you are careful with the amount you will invest.  

      Documentation 

      Summary 

      SolarNow B.V. supports access to energy for small businesses, institutions, and low income households in the rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. Founded in the Netherlands and with its HQ in Uganda, SolarNow’s primary activity is to sell and distribute high-quality modular solar photovoltaic home systems in combination with an end-user credit facility.  

      The company makes solar energy accessible and affordable to millions of off-grid people in Africa by taking a large scale and systematic approach. Operations started in Uganda in May 2011, building on management’s 7-year experience with the award winning Dutch Rural Energy Foundation training hundreds of rural entrepreneurs across Africa to develop solar energy enterprises and recognizing the potential in Uganda to develop a scalable commercial business. SolarNow has since then sold over 14,000 systems to approximately 4,500 entrepreneurs and 9,500 households. The Ugandan distribution network is strong and growing, with increasing levels of repeat orders from existing customers. 

      The project 

      With EUR 175,000 SolarNow can install 100 waterpumps at farms and 120 solar home systems in family houses in Kenya.

      Around 70% of the solar systems are being used for household purposes (lighting, television, cooling) and 30% are being used by businesses, schools and clinics (to extend opening hours, power small appliances, cooling of medicines, etc). 

      The systems are modular and can be upgraded over time. With a client satisfaction score of 99%, it is not surprising that 40% of all clients upgrade their products within 2 years after they buy the first system. 

      Clients pay for their systems in 24 months. This makes the products affordable. Also, SolarNow gives a unique 5-year warranty and free service on its products. The lifetime of the systems is 20 years, although clients need to replace the batteries after 4-6 years, depending on the use. 

      Impact 

      Solar home systems change lives. Not only do they reduce the energy expenses of off-grid households; they also improve the access to information for rural families, as they can charge their phones, watch television or even connect to the internet, which stimulates development, equality, education and even democratization. An even higher impact is achieved by the productive systems. Apart from increasing the income of entrepreneurs, this contributes to creating employment, economic development and even food security. 


      Vision & Mission of SolarNow: 

      Transform the lives of East Africans
      We want to transform the lives of East Africans by being our clients’ energy partner for life. We aim to ensure every client continuously upgrades their system over time to include the latest SolarNow solutions for their home, farm, school, health centre or business. To achieve this, we promise to provide a wide and expanding choice of high quality solutions that our clients want and need. 

      Address the huge market need for energy in East Africa with quality solutions
      We’re committed to addressing the huge unmet market need for energy in East Africa as an organisation focused on quality. For us, quality isn’t just about products. It’s about trust and relationships. We promise to be there for our clients in the moments that count: deciding to join our community, upgrading, referring family and friends and in the unlikely event something goes wrong. 

      Make quality solar accessible through affordable finance
      We believe that access to finance is the key to spreading solar. This is why we’re committed to offering affordable and flexible credit with every solar solution. Our experience in providing financing with quality solar products is unparalleled in the Ugandan market. We aim to keep it that way and expand our presence in East Africa. 

      Management team:

      Willem Nolens (CEO) - Willem has over 19 years experience in establishing and managing social enterprises in Africa, in particular in the field of microfinance and renewables. In 2001, Willem co-founded ProCredit Bank Ghana and then later became the MD. He also co-founded Catalyst Microfinance Investors (CMI), a USD 100m private equity fund investing in microfinance Institutions in Africa and Asia and from that co-founded ASA International, a network of Greenfield MFIs. In 2010, Willem transformed the award-winning Rural Energy Foundation into SolarNow and has served as CEO since its inception. 

      Peter Huisman (CTO) - Peter is an electrical engineer and research & development professional with over 12 years of experience. Peter began his career as a researcher at TNO, a Dutch research organization that believes in the joint creation of economic and social value. In 2009, Peter formed part of the original team at the Rural Energy Foundation (REF) as Country Coordinator in Tanzania. Since the transformation of REF into SolarNow, Peter has been in charge of a variety of functions from its very beginnings across R&D, IT, Operations, Finance and Logistics. 

      Ronald Schuurhuizen (CCO) - Ronald is the longest serving employee of SolarNow with over eleven years of experience in solar energy market development in Africa. Ronald was the Regional Coordination for East Africa whilst at the Rural Energy Foundation, managing teams throughout Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique implementing a market development strategy for solar and renewable energy technology diffusion. Since SolarNow’s inception in 2011, co-founder Ronald has held a variety of roles across Sales, Marketing, Operations, International Sourcing, Business Development, General Management, and is currently the Commercial Director. 

      Andreas Rosenau (CFO) - Andreas is a finance professional with over 15 years of experience across financial control and asset management. He was born in Germany and started his career in banking and as financial controller in Germany and Eastern Europe. He then moved to Asia working with Procter & Gamble as a financial controller, establishing a new business in Taiwan. Completing his MBA studies in Australia, he then worked in asset management, particularly for pension funds and individual investors. In 2015, Andreas worked as a financial consultant in South Africa and has enjoyed travelling and exploring the region. 

      Austin Harris (COO) - Austin Harris is a finance, strategy and operations professional with over 13 years of experience. He has now been living and working in East Africa for over 5 years. He began his career in Mergers & Acquisitions, and then Corporate Banking ranging from startup ventures to Citigroup as well as development projects with the UNDP. He transitioned from corporate banking into microfinance which took him to Bangladesh and Rwanda. A Skoll Scholar, he completed his MBA at Oxford Said Business School and most recently worked for Off Grid Electric in Tanzania and Rwanda. 

      John Kizito (Risk Management) - John has over 20 years’ experience in accounting, auditing and tax law. He moved from Uganda to the US to complete his studies including a Masters Degrees in Accounting and Tax Law and worked for the United Nations as an Accountant. He then spent over 10 years working in Accounting and International Tax Law at Discovery Communications and a private Tax Law Practice before returning to Uganda to join SolarNow as head of Risk Management.

      Picture of management 

      Awards: 

      • In 2010 SolarNow was awarded the prestigous Ashden Award 
      • In 2011 the company won the EU Sustainable Energy Award 

      Visit website

      Company nameSolarNow B.V. 8
      CEOWillem Nolens
      Founded2011-01-01
      LocationNairobi
      SectorSustainable energy projects
      Turnover€4,000,000
      Employees900

      Impact

      There is currently no information available for this section. Check the Summary tab for more details.

      • With this investment 10 jobs are created
      • With this investment 1000 lives are improved
      • With this investment 120 solar home systems are installed
      • With this investment 148 tons of CO2 are reduced

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      We have already contributed to SolarNow B.V. 8

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