Zafiri Platform Launches with $176 Million for African Energy Access

Managed by the climate investment firm Inspired Evolution, the fund secures backing from major institutions including the International Finance Corporation, the African Development Bank Group, and the Rockefeller Foundation. This capital will support mini-grid projects, solar home systems, and clean cooking technologies, addressing the critical shortage of long-term equity financing for remote energy enterprises. By bolstering these companies, the platform expects to facilitate reliable electricity for up to 30 million people.

The initiative serves as a primary vehicle for the Mission 300 program, which seeks to connect 300 million people across sub-Saharan Africa to power by 2030. Organizers are already looking beyond the initial launch, planning a final close of $300 million within the coming year. The long-term strategy involves scaling the platform to $1 billion to accommodate the projected surge in demand, as distributed energy solutions are expected to provide at least half of all new power connections on the continent over the next six years.