Our investment
Description of the investment.
Description of the investment.
Founded in 2017, Mobile Power (MOPO) operates a battery-as-a-service (BaaS) business powered by small-scale distributed solar energy in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). MOPO offers two patented batteries as alternatives to solar home systems, generators, mini-grids and unreliable grids. Batteries are rented on a pay-per-use basis through a network of agents. There is no deposit or minimum energy usage, enhancing access and affordability. The batteries support various applications, including charging mobile phones, lighting, and productive use equipment like fridges and e-bikes, meeting household and/or micro business energy needs for up to 24 hours.
Impact information
Applies to investments made from 2019 onwards. The tabs in this section define what we expect to achieve through the investment, assessing the potential impact of the investment against six dimensions of impact. You can find more details on our methodology of assessing impact here.
Applies to investments made from 2019 onwards. The tabs in this section define what we expect to achieve through the investment, assessing the potential impact of the investment against six dimensions of impact. You can find more details on our methodology of assessing impact here.
What?
| Impact |
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This investment enables BII to support MOPO in scaling its operations in the DRC as well as piloting the MOPO Max batteries. If successful, the DRC operations have the potential to reach over a million people in the DRC with affordable and clean basic energy access. The operations will also provide indirect employment to c.1.3k field agents and thus increase earnings for productive use.
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How?
| Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|
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Catalysing markets: Demonstrate the commercial viability of BaaS as an energy solution for low-income and rural/peri-urban households, to build investor confidence in the sector and support long-term growth. |
Who?
| Stakeholder | Geography | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Consumers – households and SMEs |
DRC |
DRC is one of the three largest energy access deficit markets in the world with 19 per cent access to electricity. MOPO’s customers are less well off than the typical solar home system / mini grid customer and cannot afford fuel for generators. |
| Planet |
Planet |
n/a |
| Employees - area managers and field agents |
DRC |
Based on the World Bank data, DRC has a population of c.102 million, c.97.7 per cent of the population live at or under $6.85 per person per day, and unemployment rate is 4 per cent but only 11.4 per cent of the population is in formal employment. |
How much?
| Scale | Depth/Duration |
|---|---|
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The investment is expected to reach over a million people in the DRC. The investment will abate up to 70,009 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over the lifetime of the MOPO 50 batteries and 15,088 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over the lifetime of the MOPO Max batteries. MOPO is projected to employ 34 area managers and provide indirect employment to approximately 1372 field agents by 2030. |
Based on the 2024 60 Decibels off-grid benchmarks, 55 per cent of customers report an improved quality of life, 55 per cent moved up the energy staircase, and 28 per cent use the energy access for productive use. Area Managers receive a fixed salary plus performance-based incentives tied to the success of their hubs and agents while field agents earn a 20 per cent commission on each battery rented. |
Contribution/additionality
| Contribution/additionality |
|---|
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Financial additionality: Debt capital is not offered at all. Given the lack of track record in DRC and the proposed financial structure, there is little appetite from commercial investors. |
Risk
Execution Risk;External RiskDRC is a challenging market to operate in due to language barriers, regulatory environment, safety, etc. and in addition, MOPO’s strategy is to target urban and peri-urban areas (unlike the rural strategy in other markets) which might create challenges in attracting customers. Stakeholder Participation RiskDirect interaction with a low-income customer base elevates customer protection risks. |
Environmental and social information
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Environmental and social summary
A high-level description of the environmental and social aspects of the investment. This may include a summary of key environmental and social risks identified during environmental and social due diligence (ESDD); key elements of an environmental and social action plan (ESAP); or ways in which we plan to support the investee improve environmental and social standards, such as through their environmental and social management system (ESMS); as well as any other priority areas agreed with the investee.
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Environmental and social risk
A risk category rating, which indicates the level of environmental and social risk associated with an investment. For an explanation of the categorisations used, see here. We consistently provide an environmental and social risk category for all investments screened from 2023 onwards.
Environmental and social summary
This transaction is considered to be medium-low E&S risk. BII is working closely with Mobile Power to strengthen its environmental and social management system, including its approach to managing health and safety risks, human resources and safeguarding.
Environmental and social risk
Medium-Low
Reporting and Complaints Mechanism
The Reporting and Complaints Mechanism allows anyone outside BII to report alleged breaches of the business integrity or environmental and social provisions of BII’s Policy on Responsible Investing. This includes breaches made by BII, a BII investee, or a portfolio company of a fund in which BII has invested. The Reporting and Complaints Mechanism Rules are available here. Reports and complaints can be submitted by email to [email protected] or by mail. See more details on our Reporting and Complaints Mechanism here.
For any other general enquiries contact us at [email protected]
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Key facts
- First published
:
When the investment was first published on the website database.
- June 2025
- Last updated
:
When the last quarterly update of the website database occurred.
- June 2026
- Project number
:
An identifier number shared by investments in the same project.
- D6807
- Status
:
The current status of the investment (green flag for active and red flag for exited).
- Active
- Region
:
The geographical region where the country is located. We currently invest in Africa, South Asia, South East Asia and the Caribbean. In 2023, BII’s investment mandate was extended allowing it to invest in regional funds linked to Ukraine, with the majority of activity expected to begin post-war. Investments outside these regions were made prior to 2012 under previous investment mandates.
- Central Africa
- Country
:
The countries where the investment delivers impact. Where impact is delivered in multiple countries, this is indicated.
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Sector
:
We prioritise those sectors that facilitate development and need our capital the most. Our priority sectors contribute towards many of the Sustainable Development Goals. They range from investing in the power infrastructure that will provide people with better access to electricity, to investing in financial institutions that direct capital to the individuals and businesses that need it the most.
- Infrastructure
- Sub sector
:
The sub-sector that the investment is made into; this provides a more granular level of detail than the ‘sector’ information
- Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers
- Investment policy :
- Kinetic
- Investment type :
- Debt
- Start date :
- January 2025
- Amount :
- $7m
- Currency of investment :
- USD
- Domicile
:
The company or investment fund’s place of incorporation.
- United Kingdom
We provide capital in the following ways: directly – through direct equity, direct debt, guarantees and other non-intermediated financial instruments; and indirectly – principally through investment funds.
Type of investment portfolio that each investment is made under. Since 2014, we have run two investment portfolios: Catalyst and Growth. In addition, our Kinetic Portfolio enables us to manage concessional investment strategies.
For direct investments and fund investments, this is the date BII committed capital to the investments. This is typically the date on which legal agreements are signed by all parties.
For the portfolio companies of our fund investments, this is the date (either the month or the quarter) on which the fund committed capital to the portfolio company.
For direct equity investments, this is the date at which British International Investment exited the investment.
For debt investments, this is the date at which the final debt repayment was made.
For funds, this is the date at which the fund was terminated.
For underlying fund investments, this is the date at which the fund manager exited the investment.
The total amount committed, per financial instrument, per investment, on the date BII becomes subject to a binding legal obligation to provide funding or assume a contingent liability. This information is provided in US dollars.
For direct investments, this is the amount that BII has committed to the business or project. For fund investments, this is the amount BII has committed to the fund.
The currency in which the investment was made.
- First published
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Gender and climate finance facts
- Climate finance
:
Indicates whether the investment is climate finance qualified or partially climate finance qualified and the type of climate finance (adaptation, mitigation or both). We define climate finance using the multilateral development bank (MDB) and the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) Common Principles climate finance methodology. See Common Principles for Climate Mitigation Finance Tracking and Common Principles for Climate Change Adaptation Finance Tracking. We provide the climate finance qualification and type for commitments from 2020 onwards, which is when we launched our Climate Change Strategy.
- Fully qualified
- Climate finance type
:
Mitigation: Indicates investments which, by avoiding or reducing GHG emissions or increasing GHG sequestration, contributes substantially to the stabilisation of GHG concentrations in the atmosphere – at a level which prevents dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system consistent with the long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement
Adaptation: Indicates investments aimed at preventing or reducing the risks or vulnerabilities posed by climate change and increasing climate resilience. This includes both adapted activities and enabling activities to manage and reduce physical climate risks
Dual: Indicates investments directed towards activities contributing to both climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation and meeting the respective criteria for each category
The climate finance type of the investment is determined at time of commitment.
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- Mitigation
- Energy type
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‘Renewable’ includes energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro power, biomass or geothermal. ‘Fossil fuel’ includes coal, oil and gas. Investments labelled as ‘Mixed’ support a combination of renewable and fossil fuel assets.
- Battery Storage
- Fossil Fuel or Renewable Exposure
:
‘Renewable’ includes energy sources with very low lifecycle emissions such as solar, wind and tidal or those meeting a certain criteria such as hydro power, biomass or geothermal. ‘Fossil fuel’ includes coal, oil and gas. Investments labelled as ‘Mixed’ support a combination of renewable and fossil fuel assets.
- Renewable
- Energy value chain
:
This refers to the activity within the energy sector value chain that the investee company is involved in.
- Energy Storage
- Climate finance
