Yes Parkerpen. iMansfield is lost in detail. The reason these things catch my eye is that a properly innovative startup or even big corp is news in Sub Sahara. Obviously all these great solutions - M-KOPA, SunCulture, One Acre Fund, etc - are mzungu-led. But they are welcome to give a hand.
The funding - amount & source - a startup attracts tells you alot about its potential. $100M is good. It even made it on TechCrunch. M-KOPA is a conglomerate of course - Solar is just the start. Compared to other startups like say Seven Seas - 20 year ICT company - that recently sold out big stake for meagre $2M - obviously it's a low potential model.
On to my favorite punchbag... another way besides funding to check high growth is research efforts. For this just check manpower - who are they hiring? Look at any serious firm: AI, ML, neuroscientists. One Acre Fund is looking for Research Analysts. Our great MNC Safcom is looking for API Manager... 
Finally they got round to it. 10 years later. I see they also need a head of e-commerce now. Hope by 2022 they might figure out what AI & ML are all about.
I say iMansfield this is why a proper venture is newsworthy around here. I wonder why we must call out the politicians all the time.
Three issues:
(a) My point is that the M-kopa package is expensive compared to Kenya power and other solar product retailers.3-4 Times above market price,
(b) M-kopa is using small scale farmers associations to increase penetration:
KTDA (Tea) CDA (Coffee) KCDA (Cotton) HCDA (Horticulture exporters groups for small farmers) CBOs (community based organizations) SHG (self help groups)
These groups of farmers have hundreds of thousands of members across East Africa and though partnership (corruption) with the head of these groupings,they are able to sell their products 3x above market price.
(c) M-kopa Vs Once acre fund_____One acre fund alleviates poverty,It provides 400,000 E.African farmers with sustainable finance,training and markets thus consistent livelihood,M-kopa takes 50 shillings a day from the money once acre fund farmers have earned,Do you see the difference between the two?I wouldn't be surprised if once acre fund has shares in M-kopa,
(d) M-kopa,One Acre fund etc are successful business models,I agree.My issue is with M-kopa product prices which are prohibitive to low income rural livelihoods.Too expensive compared to retail prices and credit terms.
If you have ever been in social enterprise business,You know how much money you can make if you approach a body like KTDA to sell your products,access to over 300,000 farmers who earn bonuses,that is they don't pay daily but their daily charge can be deducted from the bonuses,
Without Prejudice.
Topic: M-KOPA raises $80M for expansion (Read 2744 times)