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GIGA.GREEN Secures EUR30 Million in Financing for the Expansion of Decentralized Photovoltaic Infrastructure

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  Published in Business and Finance on Tuesday, November 4th 2025 at 12:53 GMT by Impacts
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The financing package

The $30 million is structured as a hybrid of debt and equity, with the majority of the capital provided by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) through a concessional loan facility. An additional $5 million is being injected by a consortium of impact investors, including the Green Climate Fund and the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), which will be used to purchase new PV panels and battery modules. The financing package is designed to fund a 2‑year expansion plan that will increase Giga Green’s installed solar capacity from the current 20 MW to 50 MW.

According to the company’s CEO, Ms. Aisha Mburu, the financing “will allow us to bring affordable, reliable solar power to households and businesses that are still off the national grid. It also provides the financial cushion needed to adopt the latest battery storage technology, which is critical for ensuring continuous power supply in regions with high solar intermittency.”

Company background

Giga Green was founded in 2018 by a team of former engineers and entrepreneurs who had worked for national utilities in Kenya. The firm’s mission is to make solar energy accessible to low‑income households, small‑to‑medium enterprises (SMEs) and rural communities through a combination of modular rooftop‑solar kits and community micro‑grids. By leveraging a pay‑as‑you‑go model, Giga Green has already served more than 150,000 customers across Kenya and Uganda, generating a steady cash flow that has financed its early growth.

In 2022, Giga Green partnered with the Kenya Power Company (KEPCO) to pilot a micro‑grid in the Thika region, demonstrating the viability of hybrid solar‑battery systems that can supply up to 70 % of the load during the day and store excess energy for night use. The pilot was hailed as a success by the Ministry of Energy, prompting the company to seek further funding to replicate the model across the country.

Expansion strategy

The newly secured financing will fund a multi‑tiered expansion strategy. First, the company will scale up its rooftop‑solar offerings by launching a new “Smart‑Panel” line that integrates micro‑inverters and IoT monitoring. This will enable customers to track energy consumption in real time, leading to better load management and lower costs. Second, Giga Green will expand its micro‑grid footprint, focusing on peri‑urban and rural clusters that lack reliable grid access. Each micro‑grid will be powered by 2‑3 MW of PV panels and a 500 kWh battery bank, ensuring 24‑hour coverage for 500–1,000 households.

Third, the firm will deploy a “Solar‑Farm‑as‑a‑Service” model in partnership with local banks. Under this model, Giga Green will own and operate a solar farm that supplies electricity to a small community, and the bank will provide revolving credit to the community members to purchase the power at a subsidised rate. This structure is expected to attract additional capital from impact investors who are keen on scalable, community‑focused solutions.

Partnerships and regulatory support

The financing is underpinned by robust partnerships with both public and private stakeholders. In addition to the IFC and AfDB, Giga Green has secured a strategic alliance with the Kenya Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (KEPRA), which will facilitate the procurement of necessary permits and ensure compliance with grid‑interconnection standards. The company has also signed an agreement with the African Union’s Pan‑African Infrastructure Development Fund to access grants for training local technicians in PV maintenance and battery management.

Moreover, Giga Green has teamed up with a regional telecom operator, Safaricom, to embed solar panels on the operator’s cell‑sites. This co‑location strategy will allow Giga Green to generate additional revenue streams while ensuring continuous power for telecom infrastructure—a critical requirement for national connectivity.

Impact on communities

With the new financing, Giga Green estimates that it will create more than 2,500 jobs in installation, maintenance and supply‑chain roles over the next three years. The company also projects that its solar projects will reduce household energy bills by up to 60 %, allowing families to redirect spending toward education and health. For SMEs, the reliable power supply is expected to boost productivity and enable the expansion of digital services, fostering greater economic inclusion.

The company’s approach to financing is also considered a model for renewable energy deployment in the region. By combining concessional loans, equity from impact funds and revenue‑based financing for customers, Giga Green demonstrates that solar infrastructure can be scaled without placing an undue burden on the national grid or on consumers.

Looking ahead

The $30 million financing is a milestone that positions Giga Green at the forefront of East Africa’s renewable‑energy transition. The company plans to use the funds to pilot an advanced battery‑management system in Nairobi’s Westlands district, which could serve as a testbed for the integration of electric‑vehicle charging stations and demand‑response technologies. If successful, this could pave the way for Giga Green to become a key player in the emerging electric‑mobility ecosystem.

In the broader context, the financing reflects a growing appetite among international development agencies and impact investors to support clean‑energy solutions that address both climate goals and socioeconomic development. As Giga Green scales its operations, it will serve as a tangible example of how private‑sector innovation, combined with public‑sector support, can accelerate the deployment of sustainable energy infrastructure in emerging markets.