ARE Investment Academy empowers Lesotho DRE entrepreneurs
The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) successfully completed the ARE Investment Academy – Lesotho Edition on 24–26 June 2025, during the Lesotho Energy Access Dialogue (LEAD) in Maseru. The programme was originally launched on 7 April 2025 in Kampala, Uganda, on the sidelines of the Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF) 2025.
The ARE Investment Academy is supported by GET.invest, a European programme that mobilises investment in clean energy in developing countries, supporting project developers and companies towards investment readiness, and linking them with financiers. GET.invest is funded by the European Union, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Austria.
Designed to boost investment readiness in Africa’s decentralised renewable energy (DRE) sector, the Academy offered tailored training on energy access finance and investor relations for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Participants in the Lesotho Edition included Nalane Green Solutions, OnePower, MOSCET, Nala Paygo, Solar African Legacy, Mahlaseli Energy, Rexivista, and PUECO.
Operating through a hybrid format, the Academy combined in-person and online sessions between April and June 2025. It culminated with an intensive two-day in-person event at LEAD 2025 in Maseru, where participants concluded the programme and received their certificates.
Throughout eight modules, the selected companies developed practical skills in project development and access-to-finance topics through interactive learning, case studies, and guest lectures by industry experts, financiers, and experienced DRE entrepreneurs.
As a programme highlight, participants prepared and presented detailed investment pitch decks during a final pitching session at LEAD 2025, receiving live feedback from financiers. The top project was recognised in a certification ceremony celebrating their achievement.
By equipping local entrepreneurs with critical knowledge of business metrics and investor expectations, the ARE Investment Academy is paving the way for more investment-ready, impactful clean energy businesses across the continent.
Interested in hosting an Investment Academy? Contact ARE to find out how.
