project

Sistema.bio

Country: India
Technology: Biomass
Business model: Waste to Energy

ElectriFI invested USD 2m in Sistema.bio in May 2019 and in December 2020, together with Engie RDE and Co Capital, an additional investment of USD 0.6 million to help the company’s scale up and international expansion. Sistema.bio manufactures, distributes, installs and finances biomass digesters for small and medium scale farmers. The biogas produced is then used for cooking, heating, or electricity generation. The investment aims to support Sistema.bio’s rapid scale up in Latin America, East Africa, and South Asia.

First investment:

Contract signature date: May 2019
Countries: India and Kenya
Financing: USD 2m

Second investment:

Contract signature date: Dec 2020
Country: Kenya, India, Latin America
Total ElectriFI Financing: USD 600 000 (EUR 492 000)

Environmental and Social Category: B
(A) high risk, (B+) medium high risk, (B) medium risk or (C) low risk

About the project:

ElectriFI contracted a USD 2m equity loan alongside Engie RDE, DILA Capital (and potentially others) to enable the company to continue its scale up and international expansion principally in Kenya and India.

After an initial equity investment of USD 2 million in 2019, ElectriFI has invested another USD 600 000 (convertible note) alongside existing investors Engie RDE and Co Capital, as well as new investors, to enable the company to continue its scale up and international expansion principally in Kenya and India. The convertible note has been since converted in equity.

Sistema.bio manufactures, sells, installs, finances and services a range of modular biogas digesters and accessories design for smallholder farmers. Since its inception in 2010 the company has installed over 13.500 units from hubs in Latin America, Kenya and India. Designed to serve farms from two to 200 cows, the product range varies in size from a single 6m³ biodigester, to a number of interconnected 40m³ units. With the biogas produced, an average household of five can do all its cooking with the smallest unit. Besides cooking, the larger systems can also be used for water or space heating and mechanical/electrical appliances such as a chaff cutter, water pump or milking machine.

At a glance:

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