Wangechi Mumbe

Pioneered affordable solar energy access across rural Africa through SolarNow, revolutionizing energy equity

Wangechi Mumbe's Visionary Solar Revolution

Wangechi Mumbe, a Kenyan innovator, has transformed energy access in sub-Saharan Africa through her company SolarNow. Since founding the enterprise in 2015, she has provided clean energy solutions to over 500,000 households across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Her Pay-As-You-Go solar systems allow families earning just $2/day to access electricity for the first time through smartphone-based payments.

SolarNow's platform combines cutting-edge technology with community-centric business models. By partnering with local microfinance institutions, Wangechi created a scalable system that reduced upfront costs by 70%. This approach won global recognition including the 2021 Ashden Award and a 2023 TED Fellowship.

In 2020 alone, her initiatives prevented 100,000 tons of CO2 emissions while creating 1,200 local jobs. Her work features in MIT's Climate CoLab case studies and the UNDP's 2022 Sustainable Energy Report. Wangechi's TEDx talk 'Lighting Africa One Payment at a Time' has over 2M views.

Her 2023 partnership with UNICEF expanded services to 150 schools, providing evening study lighting for 25,000 children. Wangechi's innovations directly contributed to Kenya achieving 75% national electrification in 2024, up from 50% in 2018. This social entrepreneur proves that combining technology with inclusive finance can create scalable solutions to global challenges.