ARE Member CEI Africa invests EUR 2 million in Spark to accelerate off-grid energy financing across sub-Saharan Africa
Spark, one of Africa’s leading B2B providers of modular solar home systems and off-grid energy solutions, has successfully closed a EUR 2 million investment round with ARE Member CEI Africa. The investment will support the continued expansion of Spark’s innovative financing models and ecosystem solutions that accelerate energy access, while centering end-users needs, affordability, and clean energy futures.
Spark has established itself as a frontrunner in the off-grid energy sector through its scalable modular system designs, long-term market vision, and strong partnerships with distribution channels across the continent. Unlike traditional solar home system approaches focused on short-term deployment, Spark focus is building solutions that create lasting economic and social impact for distributors and end users, and the wider market.
The company has consistently pioneered new approaches to market development, including Spark Invest, which introduced highly competitive payment terms for distributors and helped scale numerous growing energy access businesses. Combined with Spark’s modular solar home system design and extensive support services, these initiatives have boosted affordability, product quality, and long-term sustainability for off-grid customers.
Despite the company’s progress, Spark believes the growth opportunity for energy access in Africa is only just beginning.
Spark Managing Director, Marcel van Heist, said: “Spark welcomes this investment from CEI Africa. With progress toward SDG 7 increasingly off track, there is an urgent need for effective solutions that support businesses, and distributors to expand access to energy for off-grid households. Market-shaping initiatives such as the World Bank’s M300 programme are driving momentum and creating new opportunities for sector-wide transformation that Spark is actively developing solutions to support.
CEI Africa’s EUR 2 million investment will support the next phase of Spark’s growth, supporting the development of next-generation financing initiatives, strengthen Spark’s long-term strategic growth and enable the rollout of the first phases of the Spark Catalyse and Spark Connect initiatives. Through these efforts, Spark will continue expanding its support for distribution partners across Africa while advancing its vision of a thriving and inclusive off-grid energy ecosystem.”
While Steven Evers, Managing Director and CEO of Triple Jump, the Foundation Manager of CEI Africa, stated, “At CEI Africa, we focus on supporting businesses that expand access to energy in a sustainable and scalable way across Sub-Saharan Africa. Spark has demonstrated that its modular product design can make energy solutions more accessible to underserved customers while strengthening the commercial viability of last-mile distribution. We are pleased to support the company as it continues to grow and reach more households and businesses.”
The investment aligns with CEI Africa’s focus on catalysing scalable energy access solutions and supporting innovative financing structures that can unlock greater capital flows into the sector. Spark’s recent work involving crowdfunding and alternative financing solutions [LS25.1]for its distribution partners has demonstrated the potential for new models to strengthen access to credit and accelerate off-grid adoption at scale.
As part of the next phase of growth, Spark will continue expanding its offerings to its established distribution network across Africa while also launching the first stages of its Spark Catalyse and Spark Connect initiatives. These programmes aim to build a more integrated and sustainable ecosystem of services for the off-grid energy sector by combining the fundamentals of energy access, financial inclusion, and long-term economic resilience for underserved communities.
About Spark
Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Breda, the Netherlands, Spark is a leading B2B provider of modular solar home systems and off-grid energy solutions in Africa. Spark designs the flexible, plug-and-play Spark Kit, combining it with pay-as-you-go technology, technical support, and access to finance. Rather than distributing directly, Spark works exclusively through local partners across Sub-Saharan Africa, pairing their market knowledge with Spark’s modular products and digital management portal. To date, Spark has reached approximately 2 million people across more than 23 countries—including major markets like the DRC, Nigeria, and Madagascar—helping customers climb the energy ladder toward a cleaner, more inclusive future.
About CEI Africa
CEI Africa was established by the German development finance institution KfW on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in 2021 to improve access to energy for rural and peri-urban households and enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2022 the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) joined as a contributor to CEI Africa. CEI Africa is managed by Triple Jump and implemented together with GreenMax Capital Group. CEI Africa works with financers, off-grid solar and mini-grid experts, to develop investment solutions that bridge the financing gap in the most challenging access to energy sub-sectors.