Kenyan climate-tech startup SunCulture has raised US$5 million from WaterEquity, the first investment under the firm’s new Water & Climate Resilience Fund.
- •The Nairobi-based company will use the capital to expand access to its pumps across rural Africa.
- •Last year, the startup secured US$12 million from InfraCo Africa as part of its Series B round and also drew interest from Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and the Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund.
- •WaterEquity has attracted global backers such as Microsoft, Starbucks, and Reckitt.
“WaterEquity understands that water investments don’t fall into a single box – scaling water infrastructure can deliver both incredible impact and strong commercial returns. We’re proud to be the first investment from their new fund and look forward to growing our business together,” Samir Ibrahim, CEO and Co-Founder of SunCulture said.
Founded in 2012 by Samir Ibrahim and Charles Nichols, SunCulture has perfected its pay-as-you-grow financing model making its units affordable for low-income farmers. SunCulture’s technology offers a clean alternative to diesel and manual pumps, cutting costs while improving reliability. Its customers also use the systems to access groundwater for household needs, reducing the daily burden of water collection and addressing both food security and water access challenges.
“This first investment marks a pivotal milestone for the Water & Climate Resilience Fund, demonstrating how collective action and strategic investing can scale water and sanitation solutions in emerging markets,” said Elan Emanuel, Managing Director and Chief Investor Relations Officer — WaterEquity.
Since 2016, WaterEquity has raised more than US$470 million, with projects improving water and sanitation access for over 7 million people.