Helpful sources
Let us know if we should add a company or organisation to our list! Email: info@distributingsolar.com
Coronavirus / COVID-19 related sources
Global Innovation Exchange: COVID-19 Innovations & funding sources
Open Road Alliance COVID-19 response & funding available
Miller Center COVID-19 Crisis Management Resources including links to other COVID-19 funds/resources
Best Practices for Founders during COVID-19 from Venture Capital groups (India)
ANDE: Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs COVID-19 resources
Industry and general information sources
General information
GOGLA: Global Off-Grid Lighting Association
Energy 4 Impact, in particular their publications and reports
Acumen, in particular their publications and reports
Global Distributors Collective: for last mile distributors
Access to Energy Institute: with focus on productive energy use appliances
AMDA: Africa Minigrid Developers Association
Power for All, in particular their publications and reports: focus on job creation and productive energy potential
Power for All's Platform for Energy Access Knowledge (PEAK)
Miller Centre for Social Enterprise: accelerator for enterprises working on SDGs
SOCAP (Social Capital Markets), in particular their annual conference
60 Decibels: Acumen spin-out, focused on impact measurement
Energy Access Practitioner Network, in particular their global member directory
Climate Bonds Initiative: investor-focused not-for-profit focused on large scale climate bonds
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), in particular their publications
SystemIQ: Resources on economic system change and development, including work on Blended Finance
Next Billion: In-depth guest articles on the development sector, with energy focus
VentureWell: organisation helping early-stage founders solve difficult global challenges
Impact Hub: global network for impact-focused enterprises and entrepreneurs
CGAP: global partnership of developmental organisations focused on financial services
Sustainable Energy for All (SE4A): Global Platform focused on SDG7
TCX and MFX: currency hedging solution for emerging markets, with focus on impact sector
Hystra: Impact / SDG focused consulting organisation
Sun Connect - Off Grid Energy News
Sun Connect's database of distributers, non-profit organisations, manufacturers, focused on East Africa
EnAccess Foundation: funding and supporting open access energy projects
VeraSol: providing quality assurance and standards for devices and appliances
Open Road Alliance: provide contingency funds for non-profits and social enterprises
Efficiency for Access: focus on low energy productive appliances, and in particular LEIA (Low Energy Inclusive Appliances) and their publications
Collaborative for Frontier Finance: Resources
Climate Finance Advisory and their Green Energy Fund
Climatescape: open database of organisations working in climate change mitigation
Energypedia: Wiki-style website for energy access and related topics
Shine Invest: community of philanthropic, development and faith partners to mobilize capital, resources and momentum for SDG7
TFE Energy: resources and research reports on energy in emerging and frontier markets, with particular focus on digitisation and digital opportunities
Village Data: developing actionable data intelligence for frontier markets
Multilateral / Government / Development Banks
IFC / World Bank, in particular projects: (West Africa) ROGEP, ECREEE https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/energy
World Bank-affiliate, Climate Innovation Center (Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia etc.)
CDC group: UK's development finance institution
AfDB: African Development Bank
ADB: Asian Development Bank
FMO: Dutch Development Bank
GIZ: German Development Agency
KfW: German Development Bank
Funding sources
Aggregators / links to other funding sources
GOGLA Bridge directory of funding sources: Extensive list of grant, debt, and equity funding sources (https://www.gogla.org/advanced-search) - *very useful*
Cleantech - A Forest of Funds: LinkedIn article by Dave Kirkpatrick showcasing primarily US-based cleantech funding sources
Electric Capital Resources, in particular mini-grid playbook (focused on Africa)
Climatescape: open-source directory of climate change and energy related sources
General
Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN): focused on impact investors
Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN): global network for financing opportunities, in particular their member network
Debt funding / Project financing
Sunfunder: large-scale debt financing
Energise Africa: UK-based debt crowdfunding platform
bettervest: Germany-based debt crowdfunding platform
Trine: Sweden-based debt crowdfunding platform
Kiva (including Direct to Social Enterprise)
OikoCredit: debt and equity investments
Odyssey: funding platform also providing mini-grid planning resources
Symbiotics Group: platform for impact investing, dedicated to financing micro- small and medium enterprises and low- and middle-income households in emerging and frontier markets
RSF Social Finance: funding for US and Canada-based social enterprises
MCE Socap: Provides loans to MFIs (primarily for microfinancing)
Nexus For Development: providing funding for clean energy and water projects in Asia
Their curated list of financing providers and clean energy revolving fund handbook
Equity funding
Early stage
Acumen: early-stage, impact-focused equity fund
Bamboo Capital Partners: impact investing platform, focused on seed to growth stage funding
BEAM: from Bamboo Capital Partners
Blue Haven Ventures
ElectriFi: focus on energy access in emerging markets
Khosla Impact
Funderbeam
Crowdcube: UK crowdfunding platform for European companies
Seedrs: UK crowdfunding platform for European companies
Mustard Seed
Shell Foundation: focus on access to energy
Gaia Impact Fund
Persistent Energy
ADAP Capital: invest in innovative early-stage entrepreneurs to eradicate extreme poverty
Bridges Fund Management: US focused impact investor
Later stage
Ceniarth: Family office focused on market-based solutions benefiting underserved communities
Global Partnerships: Impact-first investor focused on people living poverty
Lion's Head Global Partners: Investment Bank for emerging and frontier markets
FMO: Dutch Development Bank
KawiSafi: Acumen subsidiary / Off-grid energy access, Africa focused fund
ResponsAbility: impact investments in emerging markets
Energy Access Ventures: investor in smart infrastructure companies in Africa
MKB Growth Equity: focused future of energy later stage companies
Strategic / Corporate investors (not exhaustive, indicative of most active corporate investors)
Mitsui
Mitsubishi
Marubeni
EDF
Total Energy
Shell Ventures
Grant funding
Global Innovation Fund (GIF)
DFID: UK Department for International Development
Innovate UK: UK Innovation Funding Service
USAID: US International Development Agency
USADF: US African Development Foundation
SIDA: Swedish International Development Agency
DOEN Foundation: Dutch Foundation
GIZ: German International Development Agency
Roddenberry Foundation Catalyst grants: up to USD15k
Technical resources
'Off-Grid Energy in Developing Countries': Textbook by Henry Louie, professor at Seattle University
Vicky&Annette Medium posts about microgrids
Enable Digital: IT consultancy company specialising in helping off grid solar and Last Mile Distributors scale
Other resources
General, Accelerators and Incubators
Advice on social enterprise fundraising: LinkedIn article by Aunnie Patton Power on social enterprise fundraising
Village Capital
GOGLA sources: https://www.gogla.org/gogla-bridge
For Fund Managers
Capria: Fund of funds for emerging markets
Impact monitoring
Vera Solutions: impact management solutions providers
60 Decibels: Acumen spin-out, focused on impact measurement
Impact Management Project: a forum to build consensus on how to measure, compare and report impact