BBOXX Democratic Republic of Congo 1: 5% Bond
£200,000 | 108 | 0 |
£175 invested
Each £175 invested through BBOXX Capital Ltd will enable one family in DRC to buy a four light solar home system on a flexible payment plan to meet their needs
1,080 families
Your investment will help BBOXX to provide clean energy to approximately 1,080 families in Democratic Republic of Congo
Since they started operations in 2010, BBOXX has provided approximately 675,000 people in the developing world with access to smart, affordable, clean energy solutions. The three co-founders of BBOXX met at Imperial College London while studying Electrical and Electronics Engineering. All three had travelled in the developing world and recognised the challenge posed to community and business development by an unreliable electrical supply. BBOXX has an ambitious plan to provide 20 million people with access to clean, affordable energy by 2020.
This project benefits from match funding from UK aid. UK aid has provided an up-front match of £50,000, meaning that for every £3 invested into this project by the crowd an additional £1 will be invested through match funding.
About BBOXX
Key product information
Investment target: £200,000
Minimum investment: £50
Maximum investment: No maximum
Maturity: 36 months
Expected interest rate: 5% per annum
Interest payment frequency: 6 monthly
Notional repayment: 6 monthly
Financial instrument: Unsecured interest bearing bond
Security: Unsecured
Key risks
This is a bond issued by a single company (rather than a savings product) and therefore it is recommended that you are careful with the amount you invest.
You must read the investment memorandum (provided below) where a full statement of risks is presented.
Documents
BBOXX in the media
The BBC's Business Live program recently featured an interview with the CEO of BBOXX, Mansoor Hamayun. BBOXX are one of the pioneering solar companies supported by the Energise Africa initiative, a joint venture between Lendahand and Ethex.
What the project investment will enable
BBOXX have ambitious plans in DRC and are aiming to become the biggest energy provider in the country by 2025. BBOXX will use 90% of the funds from this raise to install 1,080 of their flagship BBOXX Home systems and will use 10% to install 29 BBOXX Enterprise systems across the DRC from their distribution centre in Kigali.
BBOXX's Solar Home System, BBOXX Home, is Lighting Global Quality verified. BBOXX Home comes with a 50W solar panel and 17Ah battery, 4 LED lights (with a total output of 470 lumens), 2 USB ports, 6 12v ports, which can be used for running other appliances and a TV (optional).
Providing families and individuals with access to a TV has multiple impact benefits. Firstly, keeping up to-date with local news and weather forecasts helps residents better understand developments that may impact them. Secondly, educational content on TV is typically very accessible for both children and adults, who are able to learn useful topics, such as farming techniques, through engaging story-telling. Furthermore, research has shown that TV shows often inspire viewers to reach higher, driving them to study and work harder. Finally, it provides an opportunity for families and friends to gather around and strengthen important social ties.
The BBOXX Home systems can also be pay-as-you-go enabled. Customers make repayments and then own the systems outright typically after 36 months (but can vary depending on their personal Hire Purchase Agreement). After the fixed term, customers pay a monthly Energy Service Fee in order to cover maintenance costs.
BBOXX's Enterprise System, helps provide urban professionals with reliable, affordable electricity and appliances for the first time. The Enterprise package includes a 270W solar panel, a 55Ah battery, a 95L Fridge (optional), a laptop charger, 3W modern DC lighting fixtures and a 40" TV. By 2020 BBOXX are hoping to be present in 10 major cities in DRC with a further 85,000 customers.
BBOXX Capital Ltd
BBOXX Capital Ltd are looking to raise £200,000 from this bond issue as working capital to help expand their operations after their recent market entry into DRC. The money will be used for purchasing stock, which will be distributed across the eastern cities of Goma and Bukavu on the border with Rwanda. These are the optimal entry points for BBOXX into this market allowing them to serve 2 of the largest cities in DRC while leveraging their existing operations across the border in Rwanda.
BBOXX are currently supplying 550 families in DRC with clean, reliable electricity but with a combined population of close to 1.9million in these cities, BBOXX believe there is the potential for them to service up to 80,000 households with their SHS products.
Social and environmental impact
Solar home systems, such as BBOXX Home, have been shown to have a significant impact on customers' lives and the environment. To date, BBOXX has sold more than 135,000 systems, with the potential to provide approximately 675,000 people with access to solar energy.
Social Impact
The installation of solar home systems to off grid families has significant impacts that can be divided into the following categories: lifestyle, flexibility, health and safety, and economic. A recent (December 2017) survey of BBOXX customers revealed:
89%
of customers are not connected to the grid
87%
of customers said that their BBOXX SHS was the first product they had bought on credit
66%
of customers were previously using kerosene as their main source of light before accessing BBOXX
39%
of previous kerosene users reported having fire-related accidents from using it
88%
of previous kerosene users reported health issues from using it
95%
of customers said that pay-as-you-go as a payment method suits them
Environmental impact
Using industry-recognised Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA) impact metrics, BBOXX has calculated the environmental impact of installing 1,080 BBOXX Home systems as follows:
5,400
Number of people who will enjoy clean energy access
$199USD
Average new household saving on energy-related expenditure over solar product lifetime
0.39tonnes
Total greenhouse gas emissions offset per household over the lifetime of the product
Offer Documents
BBOXX Capital Ltd DRC Issue 1 Offer Document (Log In to download)