News

  1. Persistent hosts its first Climate Venture Building Conference 

    November 7, 2022
    Persistent hosted its first Climate Venture Building Conference, in Nairobi on Thursday, October 26, 2022. The gathering involved over 130 participants from a wide range of organizations active in the climate positive sector in Africa: entrepreneurs, institutional investors, development finance institutions, consultants and experts in the field. The full day event was an example of Persistent’s commitment to have a collaborative approach to accelerate the development of the climate positive sectors, contributing to strengthen the venture ecosystem with knowledge sharing, webinars and publications. 
    Read more
  2. Persistent raises $10 Million Equity Round led by Kyuden International and FSD Africa to grow climate venture building in Africa

    July 12, 2022
    New York, Nairobi, Tokyo: Today, Persistent Energy Capital LLC announced that it has raised USD 10M in equity in its Series C round. The raise, which was achieved with the support of two lead institutional investors, Kyuden International Corporation and FSD Africa Investments, will enable Persistent to continue to grow its successful climate venture building business in Africa.
    Read more
  3. In Spite of Missteps, PAYGO is Here to Stay

    April 20, 2022
    On April 7 Bloomberg published an article about the failures of the off grid solar industry. The article, entitled “Tesla Backed Startup Made Cheap Power a Debt Burden for the World’s Poorest” was written by David Kocieniewski and Gavin Finch. The article catalogs a series of missteps and seemingly predatory practices in the off grid solar industry in Africa that the authors claim harmed the World’s poorest. This is not our experience.
    Read more
  4. FinDev Canada and its 2X Canada facility invest in Energy Entrepreneurs Growth Fund to contribute to Greater Access to Clean Energy in Africa

    January 13, 2022 news category
    FinDev Canada and its 2X Canada facility announced today a participation of up to US$ 13 million in Energy Entrepreneurs Growth Fund (EEGF). The Energy Entrepreneurs Growth Fund offers catalytic financing and technical assistance to early and growth-stage companies that increase access to clean, safe, dependable, and affordable energy for off-grid households and businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa.
    Read more
  5. Triple Jump B.V., Persistent, and GreenMax Capital Advisors awarded management of the newly launched Clean Energy and Energy Inclusion for Africa Foundation

    December 14, 2021
    We are excited to announce that Persistent together with Triple Jump B.V. and GreenMax Capital Advisors have been awarded a consortium to provide management services to the Clean Energy and Energy Inclusion for Africa Foundation. The mandate from KfW aims to support new ways to decentralize electricity supply in Sub-Saharan Africa through innovative approaches that include, supplying electricity independently of the power grid, offering financing via digital credit platforms, and providing clean electricity from renewable sources.
    Read more
  6. Growth and Evolution in the Year of COVID-19

    December 17, 2020 news category
    Despite the challenges of COVID-19 in 2020, Persistent has been very successful in supporting our partner companies, driving innovation in the e-mobility space, initiating a COVID relief fund for energy access companies, and managing to grow the great team already in place by adding exceptional new talent and existing team members taking on new responsibilities.
    Read more
  7. COVID-19 and the Off-Grid Energy Sector

    May 4, 2020 news category
    When we examine the off-grid energy sector, what are we seeing across our solar Pay-As-You-Go portfolio and the sector as a whole? Our observations cover demand for solar systems, customers’ ability to pay, production and supply chains, sales activity in times of social distancing, and investor attitudes toward providing funds.
    Read more
  8. Launching the $120M Energy Entrepreneurs Growth Fund to Provide Affordable Access to Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa

    December 9, 2019 news category
    With an initial close of US$45M, the Energy Entrepreneurs Growth Fund will provide catalytic financing for early to growth stage companies in Sub-Saharan Africa operating in the access to energy ecosystem. Triple Jump, an Amsterdam based leading impact-focused investment manager, will act as portfolio manager and Persistent, a Zurich based venture and private equity firm with expertise in the off-grid sector, will serve as investment advisor to the fund.
    Read more
  9. SolarWorks! Provides Solar Power to Communities in the Wake of Cyclone Idai

    April 4, 2019 news category
    It has been over two weeks since Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique with a great deal of devastation and destruction to the region, although highly under-reported in the media. Initial government estimates indicate that 1.8 million people have been effected and hundreds of thousands have lost everything. Our partner company SolarWorks! has been working tirelessly to help in the wake of this catastrophe.
    Read more