Bringing power to people, one charge at a time, MOPO's partnership with the UK's Transforming Energy Access (TEA)
“Our customers run their lives and businesses under very tight cashflow constraints. Aligning with this paradigm, our rental model provides ultimate flexibility for customers to pay for clean, affordable power only when you need it.”
Christopher Longbottom, CEO, MOPO
Overview
After developing a battery rental service that replaces fossil fuel with solar-generated power and provides easy access for families and businesses to flexible energy, MOPO received TEA support to validate its technology, and enter new markets. MOPO has now passed 28 million battery rentals across sub-Saharan Africa and raised more than £21 million in further investment.
Without reliable access to energy, businesses don’t grow, economic opportunities are missed, and households must travel miles or spend a significant part of their income to charge phones and electrical appliances on highly polluting fossil fuel generators.
To transform energy access in underserved communities that face unstable or no grid infrastructure, clean energy tech company, MOPO found a way to mimic the flexibility of fossil fuels in a cost effective and environmentally friendly way. With MOPO’s pay-per-use battery model, customers rent portable, solar-charged 50 Wh and 1 kWh MOPO batteries from one of MOPO’s solar-powered hubs. Customers rent MOPO batteries from local agents, receiving access to clean energy on an as-needed basis – whether to charge phones, run a fridge, motorbikes or power razors for a barber shop – before returning them when the energy is used. This model means MOPO avoids the need to conduct credit checks on customers themselves or chase regular repayments. The pay-per-use battery sharing approach ensures that sustainable energy is delivered in a manner that is accessible, affordable, and adaptable to the specific energy needs of each customer.
“With each rental, we’re replacing fossil fuels, reducing household energy costs, and building a future powered by clean tech. Christopher Longbottom, CEO, MOPO
From concept to commercialisation
With early support from TEA via Energy Catalyst, MOPO started up its pay-per-use battery rental pilot in Sierra Leone in 2019, where less than 30% of the population has access to electricity. The project installed solar-powered hubs across the country, each run by local agents who supplied charged MOPO batteries within a 10 km radius, creating new green jobs and powering thousands of households.
The successful trials contributed towards MOPO scaling its business, attracting investors, and completing a successful Series A round in 2020 that raised £2 million. Since then, MOPO has continued to innovate, further supported by TEA via Energy Catalyst and Zero Emission Generators, testing new technologies such as e-mobility, inverters for powering AC appliances, as well as DC appliances for milling and clean cooking.
MOPO has, for example, explored its market potential for one of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest energy-consuming sectors: transport. An extension of MOPO’s existing pay-per-use rental model, it allows motorbike taxi riders, also known as boda boda or okada riders, to use MOPO’s batteries and pay for them as they ride, before swapping them at one of the solar-powered hubs. The support from TEA via Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) enabled MOPO to successfully validate and de-risk its battery swap model for e-bikes.
The response from customers across the MOPO portfolio has proven the hypothesis. MOPO’s rental model is scaling rapidly as 28 million battery rentals have taken place since. The company now serves customers across Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Chad and Uganda, building momentum in its battery solutions.
What began as an idea evolved into a commercial reality that could be backed by private capital. The positive unit economics of the MOPO Hubs has been evidenced, and has attracted $7 million from BII, as well as an undisclosed sum from Octopus Energy to scale its clean energy offering with no upfront cost or long-term commitment from customers.
“This growth would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our partners like TEA and Energy Catalyst. Their recognition of our innovative technology and business model, along with the grant funding awarded, has been pivotal and elevated our profile, both nationally and internationally.”
Christopher Longbottom, CEO, MOPO
28 million
MOPO’s battery rentals have reached 28 million rentals and a rate of one million a month, underlining the appetite for clean energy access.
50%
MOPO-powered e-motorbikes increased commercial driver earnings by up to 50% while reducing passenger fares by 10% in 2022. The savings have increased since as petrol prices continue to rise.
£21 million +
Following investment from TEA projects, MOPO has been able to raise over £21 million in capital to commercialise its solutions across sub-Saharan Africa.