Every week we feature a new startup at Fundsup that forces a radical breakthrough. This time we chat with Saheed Babajide Okuboyejo, CEO of SolarCreed.
Read the Dutch version on Emerce.
Saheed, what exactly are you doing?
SolarCreed offers sustainable and developmental solar products that target productive use in off-grid communities in Africa. Featured solar products include; Chicken Friendly Solar Lights used in poultry, healthcare centers, and homes without electricity grid access; Sunshine Splash Solar Pumps used to access water for irrigation, and many more. We think of SolarCreed as an off-grid Tesla in developing countries that only use solar energy to power its products.
Where do you see its main application?
Our products have different applications for off-grid food, off-grid water, and off-grid living. Our early favorites are Chicken Friendly, Sunshine Splash, and Koro Koro Eyes. They all have one thing in common, they are all solar-powered and can work effectively where there is no grid connection. These solutions are particularly important for developing regions like Africa where over 580 million people, 90% in rural communities still lack access to electricity.
What is the impact of your business?
Our business has reached many off-grid communities in Nigeria and Ivory Coast. SolarCreed contributes to establishing how access to energy for off-grid food, off-grid water, and off-grid living will look like in the 21st century as we adapt to changes in climate and meet sustainability targets. Our impact is guided by sustainability which remains our core values particularly concerning SDG 2,5,6,7,8,10,12 & 13.
Where do you stand right now?
Right now, we are established in Nigeria where we are building our circular e-commerce capacity to serve customers in the African market within the framework of the African Single Market which offers significant opportunities for accelerated growth and sustainable development. Our establishment in Nigeria puts us right at the heart of it.
“Our impact is guided by sustainability which remains our core values particularly concerning Sustainable Development Goals”
When are you planning to go to the market?
As mentioned earlier, we are already established in Nigeria which puts us at the heart of the African Single Market. Notwithstanding, capacity for circular e-commerce of off-grid solar solutions to the last-mile is lacking, therefore limiting the ability to scale across continents.
Who has invested in you and what kind of investors are you looking for?
Our last investment was with FMO, Dutch Development Bank. We are looking for a Series A equity and/or debt investor that prioritizes off-grid sustainability and recognizes the role of circular e-commerce in the scaling of solar energy.
What would be the ideal investor match?
An ideal investor would be one that has invested in Africa in the past three years and has built competencies in the circular approach to off-grid food, off-grid water, and off-grid living.
Best of luck with everything!
Thanks, check out our pitch deck in the Fundsup app: https://api.fundsup.co/go/0CTVseXsvJ