FUNDED PROJECTS

SolarWorks! Energy (SWE) provide a range of PURE systems for the fish and agricultural value chains. With support from PREO, SWE are testing an innovative Pay-Per-Catch consumer finance model to introduce solar-powered night fishing lights among 2,250 low-income fishermen on Lake Malawi.

Spunvertek delivers smart, IoT-enabled solar irrigation systems to smallholder farmers in Nigeria, replacing costly diesel pumps with clean, data-driven solutions that boost productivity, reduce emissions, and drive rural prosperity – making sustainable agriculture scalable, profitable, and climate-resilient. Spunvertek’s PREO project will deploy 70 additional solar-powered irrigation units across Nigeria to cover over 500 hectares of farmland and benefit more than 1,500 smallholder farmers.

Stima is drawing on its extensive experience working with Chinese battery suppliers and motorcycle manufacturers to develop a standardised battery platform that can be used by multiple original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) operating across sub‑Saharan Africa.

With support from PREO, the company is piloting battery swap stations built around this shared standard, co‑designed with partner OEMs, with local franchisees owning and operating the stations.

Strathmore University, located in Nairobi, Kenya, is a chartered institution known for its commitment to quality education and research. The university is validating Sunsafe, a mobile application designed to address the challenge of inaccurate solar system sizing in rural Kenya. This issue affects the reliability and adoption of solar energy. Strathmore University is testing four business models, including different sizes and options with and without QR codes, targeting retailers, technicians, manufacturers, and distributors.

Sunshine Pacific is advancing sustainable farming by installing a solar energy system at a 16-acre commercial agri-site, including an 8-acre hydroponics farm. This initiative addresses high energy costs, climate vulnerability, and infrastructure gaps by demonstrating the financial and technical viability of renewable energy in agri-processing. It aims to reduce diesel reliance, enhance year-round food production, create green jobs, and serve as a replicable model for climate-smart agriculture in Samoa.

Synnefa is scaling its Smart Solar Dryer – an IoT‑enabled, renewable energy drying system that delivers consistent, hygienic, and high‑quality crop drying. Powered by solar‑driven sensors, and FarmCloud software, the system automates temperature and humidity control to ensure reliable outcomes across crops and climates.

Synnefa’s integrated platform supports more than 7,000 farmers across Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana, spanning value chains such as coffee, mango, chilli, and spices. With support from PREO, the company is scaling Smart Solar Dryer deployments to demonstrate the potential of renewable energy and digital tools to reduce losses, improve incomes, and strengthen agricultural resilience.

In Tanzania, over 17,000 schools lack access to electricity, negatively affecting student enrolment, lesson quality, and overall educational outcomes, which contributes to high child illiteracy rates. Trend Solar, with PREO support, is addressing this issue by using their PAYG solar home system network to enhance digital education in off-grid households. The company provides low-cost data, smartphones, and locally relevant educational content. The initiative includes affordable solar home systems bundled with user-friendly smartphones and data packages for rural families. Through the Ubongo app, children can access free educational content that supports early literacy, numeracy, gender equality, and digital skills, helping to integrate these communities to improve their educational and economic prospects.

TRī is an early-stage electric mobility company operating in Tanzania. The company offers affordable three-wheeled vehicles to professional drivers through a lease-to-own scheme. In a country where 50% of road transportation relies on two- and three-wheeled taxis, TRī aims to make the transition to electric vehicles easy and cost-effective for drivers. By providing fully maintained electric three-wheelers, TRī enables drivers to double their daily income, from $5 to $10, while also addressing range limitations through state-of-the-art speed chargers. With support from PREO, TRī seeks to demonstrate the validity of its financial and operational models, reduce emissions, and promote gender equality within its workforce and customer base.

Volt-Terra, a joint venture between INENSUS and Gourmet Gardens, focuses on developing mini-grid solutions to provide reliable and affordable electricity to rural communities in Uganda, enabling economic growth through improved agricultural practices. In July 2021, the partnership received a grant from PREO to test the KeyMaker Mini-Grid Business Model in agricultural value chains. The model uses mini-grid electricity to boost local agro-processing to help local farmers overcome the challenges the face in crop cultivation and price exploitation due to the inherent short shelf life of most agricultural products and limited or lack of energy access to promptly process their harvest – helping to create additional income for operators. The project, implemented in Kayonza, Uganda, involved building a 60kWp PV mini-grid, supporting vanilla and chili cultivation, and introducing an electric dryer to enhance crop processing and access value-added markets.

Zembo sells electric motorcycles on credit plans and operates battery-swap stations in Uganda. Zembo’s motorcycle taxis (known locally as Boda Boda) powered by electricity offer a game-changing innovation with both economic and environmental advantages compared to conventional fossil fuel-powered motorcycles. Not only do they improve the revenues earned by drivers due to their lower energy and maintenance costs, but they also reduce pollution and benefit the local environment by cutting emissions and noise. Initially focused on urban Kampala, Zembo received PREO support to extend the swap network to rural areas in Masaka using off-grid stations.

Zuhura Solutions has developed the Halisi Trolley, a solar‑powered, charcoal‑free food vending cart designed for informal street vendors in Kenya, particularly women and youth. The solution integrates clean cooking technology with income‑generating features and a flexible pay‑as‑you‑go (PAYGo) model, improving health and safety, reducing emissions, and supporting inclusive, tech‑enabled entrepreneurship.

With PREO support, Zuhura Solutions is deploying 120 Halisi trolleys on a PAYGo model, lowering upfront cost barriers, and allowing micro‑entrepreneurs – around 70% women and 30% youth – to adopt clean cooking solutions. The model reduces emissions and health risks while improving profitability, positioning climate action as a driver of economic opportunity within Kenya’s informal urban economy.