Innovate UK Catalyses Charm’s Growth — Again!

In December 2019, we were very pleased to secure our second research and development grant from Innovate UK, funded by the Department for International Development as part of the Energy Catalyst Round 7.

The project’s public description is:

The financing gap for off-grid solar projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia is estimated at over $52bn annually to achieve universal energy access by 2030. Without additional sources of funding, energy start-ups and companies working in emerging economies will not have the capital to scale their businesses for improved energy access, reduced carbon emissions and improved gender equality and social inclusion.

Charm Impact, an early stage debt provider for clean energy companies in emerging economies, is executing a feasibility study to prototype a data collection tool, to enable clean energy companies to record relevant metrics that will make them an attractive and investable proposition. The project will look to research the appropriate metrics to capture, learn how they need to be tailored for different business models and develop a working prototype.