July 11, 2017
Finnfund to provide an additional senior loan facility to Mobisol
Finnfund has provided an additional substantial senior loan facility to Mobisol, following an already provided senior loan in 2016 to Mobisol’s operations in Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya.
This additional funding, granted up to 10 million euros, will support Mobisol’s fast expansion in East Africa, where the company installed nearly 10 megawatts of capacity in those three countries, providing clean and reliable electricity to households and small businesses in low-income communities.
In this way, Mobisol enables particularly rural families and business owners to power a range of appliances, such as televisions, stereos and refrigerators to improve their standard of living and earn incremental income through solar-powered businesses, such as mobile phone charging stations, barber salons, movie theaters and more.
The new financial commitment will pave the way for further growth.
“Mobisol is very pleased about the sustained support from Finnfund, which allows us to further plugintheworld and connect more people to a reliable source of energy,” said Thomas Gottschalk, Chief Executive Officer at Mobisol. “This is not only adding to the socio-economic growth in underserved regions in East Africa, but also contributes to a greener and more sustainable future globally.”
Jaakko Kangasniemi, Chief Executive Officer comments: “Finnfund is excited to support Mobisol’s work and expansion in East Africa. For us as an impact investor, the key is that supplying electricity to new areas can improve human lives, reduce inequality, and even help people out of poverty. Simultaneusly, the use of renewable energy helps us to fight against the climate change, one of the biggest challenges of our time.“
Solar brings electric light to Mary’s family
For more information:
Finnfund: Jaakko Kangasniemi, Managing Director, jaakko.kangasniemi(a)finnfund.fi, tel. +358 40 577 7676
Mobisol: Leslie Katharina Otto, Head of Marketing and Communications, leslie.otto@plugintheworld.com
Finnfund (Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd) is a Finnish development finance institution, aiming to foster sustainable development by providing long-term risk capital for private projects in developing countries. Investment criteria include profitability, sustainability and positive development impacts. Since 1980 Finnfund has made nearly 370 investments in almost 70 countries. Currently, Finnfund has approximately 613 million euros invested in or committed to 167 projects in 34 countries. For more information, please visit www.finnfund.fi
Mobisol, a leading player in decentralized solar electrification, offers a clean and affordable alternative to fossil fuels for lower-income households and small businesses in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Combining solar energy hardware with mobile payment technology, Mobisol designs, procures, distributes and services large solar home and commercial systems. The company enables rural families and business owners to power a range of appliances, such as televisions, stereos and refrigerators to thereby improve their standard of living and earn incremental income by establishing solar-powered businesses. Mobisol provides a credible alternative to a grid connection that millions have been waiting for in vain, and ensures affordability through flexible payment plans. For more information, please visit www.plugintheworld.com