Update from Energise Africa’s new CEO, Ray Coyle

Energise Africa is an incredibly impressive organisation.  Through the platform, almost £40 million has been invested in impactful companies that change the lives of those who are not just at the greatest financial disadvantage but are also the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change that we are seeing.  What is most compelling about this is that it has not come from a bank or investment fund, but from ordinary people in the UK who want to put their money to work fighting both the causes and the effects of climate change in developing economies.

This is what compelled me to join Energise Africa.  I have worked in the renewable energy sector before and been involved in impact investment and investments into developing economies.  Energise Africa combines all three aspects while also engaging real people who want to put their money to work to make the world a better place.

When money is invested impactfully, rather than purely for financial gain, things can really change.  Instead of money going into Western businesses to deliver solutions in developing countries, the investment can go directly to the region, building skills and generating employment locally.  Instead of only investing in the biggest players in a market, SMEs can get access to the funding they need to grow.  Instead of just listening to Western solutions, local entrepreneurs get a chance to provide the solutions that they know their communities need.  The money that our investors have invested through Energise Africa has made a positive difference on many levels.  If you have not already, you should read this overview published last year.

But there is so much that we still need to do, and as we look to the future, there are two huge opportunities for Energise Africa.  

We are committed to expanding our reach, both geographically and in the sectors we support, to provide more entrepreneurs in emerging economies with access to funding on the platform.  We will expand our reach beyond Africa and broaden our investment opportunities to include businesses that are addressing the energy transition in innovative ways and those that are helping the most vulnerable to adapt to the changes in climate that are already happening.  We cannot do this alone and are busy building partnerships around the world with like-minded organisations that can help us to grow and offer our investors the opportunity to invest in positive change.

We also want to continue to build our community of investors.  As more people in the UK become increasingly concerned about the crisis unfolding before us and look for ways that they can make a real difference, we want to demonstrate that, by investing even relatively small sums through Energise Africa, collectively we can develop local markets, fuel emerging economies, facilitate the climate transition and drive change quickly.

I am confident that Energise Africa has a very exciting future ahead, but I know that we could not have reached this point or have this future potential if it were not for our investors.  When ordinary people decide to take action, to put their money to good use and to make a personal difference for the climate and the most vulnerable in our world, great things happen!  I want to personally thank every one of our investors, who have been the pioneers.  In the future, I believe that direct, personal impact investing will become mainstream and, when it does, our investors should look back with pride, knowing that they helped to make this happen.

If you haven’t joined our community of investors yet, we’d love to welcome you to a group of passionate investors who will help take us to £40 million raised for impact and far beyond! Sign up here