Persistent Stories

The Africa Tech Summit is a premier event that brings together key players from across the tech and climate sectors in Africa and beyond. This annual gathering in Nairobi serves as a crucial platform for startups, investors, corporates, and policymakers to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and explore the latest innovations driving a climate resilient future on the continent. The summit, which is also hosting the Africa Climate Tech Summit, spans various critical areas, including fintech, agritech, e-mobility, and renewable energy, making it an essential convergence point for those at the forefront of Africa's technological and environmental advancements.

As the pressing challenges of climate change, energy instability, and the escalating costs of fossil fuels become evident daily, it is now increasingly crucial to explore sustainable and reliable energy solutions while this is slowly being adopted, the global energy industry continues to struggle with decorbanization and digitalization. The IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2021 report stated that digital technologies play crucial roles in integrating different aspects of the new energy system, therefore accelerating the urgent need for a shift towards decarbonized and digitized energy systems. It is within this challenging yet transformative context that Persistent’s decision to invest in Circadian becomes not just strategic but imperative.

Over the years, Off grid solar home systems (SHS) have provided clean energy to nearly 500 million people worldwide. In Africa, 50% of these numbers are people who have not been able to have access to clean and renewable energy. It is safe to say the PayGo sector has come to revolutionize access to clean and affordable energy in Africa and even in the world at large.

Lagos, largest city in Nigeria is a dynamic city with a population of about 15 million. Lagos has a vibrant and thriving startup scene, known for its entrepreneurial spirit and technological advancements on the continent. This is one of many reasons why Persistent has this year revitalized its presence there, corresponding with the growth of our Nigerian team. Recognizing the potential, Persistent is committed to continue developing its network in the region by establishing relationships in the Nigerian Climate community and identifying promising startups, particularly in the fields of Agtech and the Circular Economy.  

Persistent is powered by a team of impact-driven early-stage investors who support exceptional entrepreneurs building climate technology businesses. We are investors, entrepreneurs, technologists, and lawyers, all united behind a vision to create a more sustainable Africa and accelerate climate technology across the continent. Our team is diverse, consisting of members from various African backgrounds who contribute to different aspects of our initiatives and we are proud to have a composition of 80%+ team members based in Africa, 60%+ African team members, and 60%+ female representation in the entire team structure.

Welcome to the 1st edition of our "Persistent ABC" series, where letters of the alphabet represent something that matters to us at Persistent. Today it`s A for Altech, our partner company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Hey there! Today, Altech received some great news.  It might not seem all that fun at first glance: repaying a loan to an external lender! But repaying the first loan you ever raised is exciting, so stick with us. Let`s set the scene ...

By recently joining Persistent, Wyclife aims to fulfill two of his true passions: finance and innovative entrepreneurship, especially when these pursuits ultimately result in a positive impact. What greater cause can there be than positively changing the lives of others? And how did these passions come to Wyclife?

An Indian man, a German woman, and a Congolese man meet in Dungu. What sounds like a great intro for a Dad joke was actually the beginning of a journey to help thousands of people gain access to energy in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But what is it that these three people do and where the hell is Dungu?

For Toukam, a Cameroonian native, life has been a combination of adventure, meeting and caring for people, entrepreneurial ventures, and persistence. He brought all these experiences to Persistent, as an outstanding venture builder, to work with exceptional entrepreneurs and drive social and environmental impact in Africa.

It’s easy to underestimate Tobias. You wouldn’t guess that he was involved in a casino robbery – as a hostage! – or that he sold wild pineapples and later ran a car repair shop in the Central African Republic. But get a few beers with Tobias and he has stories that easily fill a long evening.