USAID has, through its Global Development Lab, provided Tanzanian solar startup Off Grid Electric with $5 million as part of follow-on funding. The USAID award is, once again, funded through the Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) program and allows for the company TO test its model at scale and catalyze additional investments to reach more than one million households.
The startup is the first DIV-supported program to receive three rounds of tiered funding, beginning in 2012. It has used previous grants to test and prove its operations in Tanzania.
Off Grid Electric provides affordable, reliable light and energy services to 10,000 new households per month, allowing customers to pre-pay for electrical services using mobile money and access small-scale solar home systems with integrated appliances.