SunFI, a pioneering clean energy start-up based in Nigeria, is making waves in the climate technology sector with a mission to eliminate millions of petrol and diesel generators across Africa.
The co-founder and CEO of SunFI, Rotimi Thomas, shared valuable insights into their journey and the impact of their participation this week at the AfricArena Nairobi Summit preceded by the AfricArena Safarilex Bootcamp.
The summit, known for its role in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship on the continent, is proving to be a game-changer for SunFI. After having raised $2 million for its solar financing platform earlier this year, Thomas highlights further positive outcomes of their participation, emphasising the immense value of networking and collaboration that the events provide.
“The networking has been wonderful. We’ve [already] connected with a range of investors and fellow entrepreneurs,” said Thomas.
“Beyond access to investors, it’s been interesting for my co-founder and I to go beyond what we are doing with building a clean energy ecosystem to learning about what others are doing in sustainable agriculture, carbon credit markets, lab-grown meats, carbon capture, and more. The beauty of this is that we form communities of support as we all look to scale sustainable businesses that can change the world.”
Thomas’s comments underscore the power of collaboration within the climatetech sector and the potential for cross-pollination of ideas to drive sustainable innovation.
SunFI’s immediate mission is to eliminate the millions of petrol and diesel generators operating across Africa, with a particular focus on Nigeria. This ambitious goal not only promises to save millions of tons of CO2 emissions but also billions of dollars in fuel savings for consumers, while simultaneously improving air quality and human health.
Thomas believes that their participation in the AfricArena Nairobi Summit can potentially be instrumental in refining their storytelling and expanding their network of supporters to further their mission.
“There are millions of petrol and diesel generators operating across Africa, especially in Nigeria. Our short-term mission is to eliminate those generators, saving millions of tonnes of CO2, billions of dollars in fuel savings for consumers, while improving air quality and human health. The event with AfricArena has further helped us improve our storytelling and expanded our network of supporters to pursue our mission,” Thomas says.
AfricArena is renowned for its insightful sessions, and Thomas praised the engagement level at the summit. “The sessions with AfricArena are great. We actually had a roundtable in which investors and entrepreneurs exchanged ideas on how to improve the due diligence process for early-stage investors and companies.”
SunFI’s narrative is further honed at the summit, and their network of supporters has expanded significantly. Thomas emphasises the importance of these connections, regardless of whether they result in direct investment, as they often lead to valuable collaborations.
“At the summit, we’ve further improved our narrative and have expanded our supporter network. We say supporters because whether one invests or not, there are collaborations that will unfold. For example, we’ve benefited from collaborations with Catalyst Fund even though they aren’t an investor in SunFi.
“We are looking to maintain and leverage the other connections developed now as part of the Africa Arena ecosystem. The insights from the investors we are engaging are relevant for our work in Nigeria.”
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