All on and katapult invest in innovative solar mini-grids company nxt grid to expand their nigeria footprint

“We are excited about the growth path that the investment enables and about the strategic value and experience our investors bring to the table. All On has already been a great partner for our Nigerian operations since their initial investment in 2020, while Katapult has provided us with access to key resources to be fully ready for our growth in the coming years. Solidifying our relationship with such strategic investors is another step on our path to achieve solar mini-grids everywhere, by anyone” said Fabio De Pascale, CEO and co-Founder of NXT Grid.

NXT Grid’s innovative integrated platform makes it easy and affordable to install and operate a solar mini-grid. The company couples AI-based software with rented solar equipment, to enable business customers to run their own town-sized utility. The upfront costs are reduced by 80% and make mini-grids a financially and environmentally sustainable alternative to generators.

The investment builds on top of an initial investment by All On in 2020, which made it possible to deploy the first mini-grids in Nigeria. The new funding enables the company to further its growth in the country, with 30 grids planned to be constructed by 2023.

Following the investment, Goziem Okubor, Senior Investment Associate of Nigerian off grid energy investor All On: “We are thrilled about our follow on investment in NXT Grid, which comes after the company proved its model in the Niger Delta region with its first grids in 2021. NXT Grid's model has the potential to disrupt the clean mini-grids industry in Nigeria and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to the unique ability to empower and enable local companies and local investors to sustainably build and operate solar mini-grids with no prior experience.”

Nina Heir, CEO Katapult Climate and Partner at Katapult, a leading Norwegian climate-focussed fund and accelerator, says “For the first Katapult cohort focusing solely on climate tech, we evaluated more than 1,000 impressive companies from across the globe. NXT Grid’s offering of providing easily deployable solar mini-grids not only aligns with our investment criteria but speaks to the core of our vision of building a thriving world for all.”

About NXT Grid

NXT Grid is a one-stop-shop for solar mini-grids. It enables local companies and individuals to construct and operate solar mini-grids without the need to handle complex operations and with a fraction of the typical initial investment. NXT Grid plans to connect over 2,500,000 people and deploy more than 250 MW of solar mini-grids across Sub-Saharan Africa in the next ten years.

Media Contacts
Bert Dequae
Commercial Director
+31 6 2537 4049
media@nxtgrid.co

About All On

All On, an independent Nigerian impact investing company, was seeded with funding from Shell, and works with partners to increase access to commercial energy products and services for unserved and underserved off-grid energy markets in Nigeria, with a special focus on the Niger Delta. All On invests in off-grid energy solutions spanning solar, wind, hydro, biomass and gas technologies deployed by both foreign and local access-to-energy companies that complement available grid power across Nigeria and help bridge its significant energy gap.

Media Contacts
Adaobi Oniwinde
Policy and Partnerships Manager
+234 706 201 6321
all-on-communications@all-on.com

About Katapult

Katapult is an investment company and a foundation. Katapult offers investment opportunities in early stage, impact-tech startups and delivers innovative accelerator programs. Since 2017, Katapult has conducted 8 flagship accelerator programs and 3 corporate accelerators, strengthening our investments in highly promising impact tech startups.

Media Contacts
Linn-Cecilie Linnemann
Chief Communication Officer, Katapult Group
+47 450 17 701
linn-cecilie@designcontainer.no