Project Jua

Year: 2020

Context: An Africa-focused venture builder invests financial and human resources in early-stage cleantech companies across sub-Saharan Africa.

Challenge: The venture builder wanted to know whether or not to prioritise certain solar energy sub-sectors in their next fundraise and investment round.

Key questions:

  • What is the market potential per sub-sector?
  • What is the competitive landscape per sub-sector?
  • What is the economic potential per sub-sector?
  • what is the impact potential per sub-sector?
  • What is the sub-sector’s fit with the company?

Approach and outcomes:

  • Detailed interviews with over 20 stakeholders including entrepreneurs and investors, and review of industry reports, to enable an understanding of market fundamentals
  • High-level unit economics analysis to develop the business case (go/no-go) for each sub-sector
  • High-level impact analysis based on CO2e avoided, job creation, cost savings, revenue uplift etc.
  • Investment thesis on investment worthiness per sector, and recommendations on priority markets, customer archetypes and ticket sizes