Getahun Mekuria

Ethiopian tech entrepreneur who revolutionized sustainable energy access in rural Africa through innovative solar solutions

Getahun Mekuria (born 1989) is a visionary Ethiopian entrepreneur whose company Vestergaard pioneered the LifeStraw solar initiative, providing affordable solar energy systems to over 5 million households in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2023. His Green Energy Ethiopia platform uses blockchain technology to track microfinance payments for solar installations, creating economic opportunities while reducing carbon emissions. Mekuria's Light Up Africa campaign (launched 2021) secured $120 million in international grants to electrify 10,000 rural villages. His work has been featured in National Geographic's 2022 climate solutions series and inspired similar projects in Kenya and Tanzania. The MIT Technology Review named him 'Africa's Green Innovator of the Year' in 2023, recognizing his development of solar-powered irrigation systems that increased crop yields by 300% in drought-prone regions.