At Invested Development, we invest in companies with products and services aimed at solving global energy poverty as access to energy impacts almost all other aspects development. Below are recent articles highlighting the role that energy plays in the development of emerging markets. Microgrids Life Villages Out of Dark Age by Megha Bahree on Nikkei Asian Review Our portfolio company, Simpa Networks, based in India, is playing a crucial role in bridging the “power … read more
Simpa Networks announces commercial debt financing to scale up its clean electricity solutions in rural India
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BANGALORE – 17 December 2014 – Simpa, which sells solar-as-a-service to energy-poor households and micro-enterprises in rural India, today announced that it has completed a $4 million debt financing round. The financing has been provided by Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s development finance institution, and by GDF Suez through their Rassembleurs d’Energies program.
An estimated 400 million people in rural India still do not have access to an electricity … read more
Mobile Money Updates
The mobile money industry continues to grow in the developing world, offering financial inclusion to the masses that were previously without access to financial services. Below are a few recent articles highlighting exciting developments in the industry.
Mobile Money Continues to Penetrate Africa by Emmanuel Iruobe on Ventures Africa
According to an industry report by the Global System for Mobile Association (GSMA), the mobile money industry is continuing to expand across more regions in Africa. … read more
Global Energy Updates
Most of the developing world finds itself in an energy crisis, with little to no access to the grid or unreliable power supply for those with access. The portion of the world with reliable energy on the other hand wastes billions of dollars worth of watts every year. The articles below discuss each of these energy problems and outline solutions that could save money while providing more.
Solar Energy Developments
Over 1.4 billion people in the world do not have access to electricity, and most of them live in developing countries. Solar energy represents a great opportunity to combat energy poverty by providing clean, affordable energy to all. The following articles detail recent developments, goals, and new technologies in solar energy.
Will SunFunder Unlock $1 Billion in Off-Grid Solar Venture Debt? by Justin Guay on The Energy Collective
One of the big success factors for … read more
CropIn Technologies Joins ID’s BSP Fund Portfolio
We are excited to welcome CropIn Technologies to the BSP Fund portfolio. CropIn is a Bangalore-based software startup that makes farm operations efficient, transparent, and traceable. The software collects data from the field and makes it available to assist agri-businesses and farmers to improve productivity and sustainability. The cloud-based solution simplifies complex farming operations, especially those common to contract farming, an area ripe for technology innovation.
Contract Farming in India
Contract farming is … read more
SOLAR ENERGY ON A ROLL
Solar energy has been on a roll in recent years, helped by a drastic 64% decrease in the price of photovoltaic cells since 2008. Thanks to falling costs, over 2 million solar lanterns were sold in 2012, expected to increase 75% a year in Africa alone. Lowering costs and increasing affordability will be the biggest drivers for the continued growth of solar, so investments at both the project and product level are important to watch.… read more
Renewable Energy Technology
We are always looking out for our next investments for the BSP Fund. Here are some of the stories that caught our attention in the renewable energy field this week.
The green transformation is under way by Thomas Kerr and Brindusa Fidanza on World Economic Forum
Resource scarcity and climate change are becoming more prevalent issues for policymakers, including those at the recent World Economic Forum. Policymakers are aware of the need to implement … read more
Dynamic Development in India
Last week the industry’s attention turned to India as Sankalp Forum brought together the biggest players in Indian social enterprise. Continue reading for news on India’s development and vibrant energy technology scene.
“5 Keys To Sustainable Development in Indian Cities” by Holger Dalkmann and Ashwin Prabhu
Impact investors and social entrepreneurs must consider the larger trends of population growth and urbanization in their approach to create impact. India is a good example: The … read more
Weekly Review August 18-24
After the enormous grid failure in India, there is a new awareness of the need for alternative energy. Savvy entrepreneurs and established businesses are taking advantage and jumping on the opportunity to expand their market. Clearly a big hurdle is fully understanding the costs of renewables and working to minimize them. Luckily, there are plenty of smart folks working on that as well.… read more
Weekly Review July 28-August 3
In light of this week’s power crisis in India, our weekly review articles this week focus on the energy sector in India and the clean technology solutions available. Be sure to check out our post from earlier this year on the reality of the energy sector in India and the government’s mission to install 20 GW of solar by 2020.… read more
Portfolio Update: Promethean’s Progress
Our portfolio companies exhibit determination and persistence in their journey to scale. We’re proud of all milestones, whether big or small, as they indicate growth and scale, allowing the benefit of innovative technologies to reach further. Promethean Power has made excellent progress so far in 2012, and today we’d like to share the most recent update on their journey.
Secretary of State Hilary Clinton recognized the Promethean team for their work. On her trip to … read more
Weekly Review April 7-13
Last week we looked at the support system for mobile tech innovation; this week, several headlines caught our attention regarding the developing ecosystem of support for clean tech entrepreneurs in emerging markets.… read more
Can India Install 20 GW of Solar by 2020? Part 2
Last week we introduced the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission and explained the reality of the energy situation in India. Will it be possible for India to reach the goal of 20GW of installed solar capacity by 2020? We built a model to test the feasibility, and today we’ll share our findings.… read more
Can India Install 20 GW of Solar by 2020? Part 1
In a first-of-its-kind plan, the Indian government announced the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission with the goal of achieving 20 GW of installed solar capacity by 2020. An incredible ambition, many are wondering if it is possible. There’s no denying that the country needs it, but is it possible to garner enough investment in solar to install 20 GW of capacity by 2020? We looked at several macroeconomic factors to determine the feasibility of the … read more
Weekly Review February 5-11
This week, we read about growing entrepreneurial opportunities in our target investment markets: India, Africa, and Latin America. The movement of human and financial capital in (and out) of emerging markets is increasing steadily thanks to changing demographics and blossoming economies. This presents exciting opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs alike.… read more
Weekly Review January 29-February 4
The technology sector in India, including all players from $5 billion USD Facebook to tiny startups in Bangalore, is growing and changing everyday. If investors can support continuous innovation, the sector will keep booming despite the many obstacles that exist for entrepreneurs in India.… read more
Simpa Networks Makes Headlines
We take pride in each one of our portfolio companies, and it’s always rewarding to see them recognized for their work. Simpa Networks has been quietly walking the walk and is now talking the talk, evidenced by article after article popping up in our Google Alerts. The media stories on Simpa spotlight the need for alternative energy and accompanying innovative financing solutions for the under- and un-electrified. Now, mainstream media like Inc Magazine and National … read more
Weekly Review January 1-7
Since we wrapped up the year with a Weekly Review on Africa’s prospects for prosperity in 2012, this week we’re taking a look at India. In renewable energy news, the common trend is the focus on India – this week was no exception. We think (and it seems the media agrees) that the clean tech industry will present significant opportunities for investment and development in India.
 |
| Photograph: Rafiq Maqbool/AP via The Guardian |
Weekly Review December 11-17
This week, headlines on technology and mobile phones in India caught our attention. The innovations and solutions to existing problems in the market continue to inspire us.
“India’s ‘missed call’ mobile ecosystem” by Katie Fehrenbacker on Gigaom
This article called a missed call “the poor man’s text message” in India. The missed call is a great example of users in emerging markets taking advantage of the resources available to them. Although it means
… read more Weekly Review October 17-21
 |
| Source: Wikimedia Commons |
This week we’re highlighting the importance of enterprise level development and impact investing in India. Several newsworthy excerpts describe the myriad opportunities emerging from the growth of social enterprises, impact investing, and the use of technology in the region.
“Could impact investing help India’s poor” by Shilpa Kannan on BBC News, Delhi
A massive existing population in India coupled with robust economic growth expectations and a changing investor appetite for
… read more