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- Zola Electric
Zola Electric Funding, Investors & Competitors
Zola Electric has raised $158M across 6 funding rounds, most recently a $45M undisclosed-stage round in September 2021.
Last Zola Electric funding round
$45M
Undisclosed stage · Sep 2021
Cumulative funding Zola Electric raised
$158M
across 6 funding rounds
Key investors in Zola Electric
Vulcan Capital
DBL Partners
TotalEnergies Ventures
Helios Fairfax Partners
Omidyar Network
E3 Capital
SolarCity
Idinvest Partners
About Zola Electric
Zola Electric is a renewable energy company that engineers solar power systems integrated with batteries and power electronics for off-grid applications. Its PAYGo model allows customers in Tanzania, Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana to acquire systems via micro-finance leasing paid through mobile money. Backed by investors such as Tesla, Vulcan Capital, DBL Partners, Helios Investment Partners, EDF, Total, and GE Ventures, Zola Electric earned the UN Momentum for Change Award, Zayed Future Energy Prize, and Global Cleantech 100 recognition.
Founded
2011
HQ
Website
Status
Privately held
Customer focus
B2C
Revenue model
Subscription
Zola Electric Funding History
Zola Electric has raised a total of $158M across 6 funding rounds.
Zola Electric's first fundraising round was a $7M Series A in March 2014. The most recent completed round was a $45M undisclosed-stage round in September 2021.
Zola Electric funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2021 | Undisclosed stage | TotalEnergies Ventures (lead); DBL Partners; Paul Allen; Lyndon Rive; Peter Rive; Helios Fairfax Partners; Vulcan Capital | $45M | Zola Electric, an Amsterdam-based renewable energy technology company founded in 2011 by Erica Mackey, Xavier Helgesen, and Joshua Pierce, develops intelligent batteries and SAAS software called Vision to deliver distributed clean digital energy solutions for homes and businesses in emerging markets lacking reliable power. The company's products integrate with any energy source including grid, solar, and batteries, powering various loads while providing data, analytics, and control. On September 23, 2021, Zola Electric closed a $90 million capital raise comprising $45 million in equity and $45 million in debt, matching the specified Series E round led by TotalEnergies Ventures with participation from DBL Partners, Helios Investment Partners (also referred to as Helios Fairfax Partners), Vulcan Capital (Paul Allen's investment arm), Lyndon Rive, Peter Rive, and Electron Capital Partners. Debt was provided by FMO and SunFunder. At the time, Zola Electric served approximately 1.5 million users across more than 10 countries, primarily in Africa (Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Namibia, DRC, South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria), with recent expansion to Asia and South America, reaching over 300,000 households and businesses. Products are distributed through integrators like EDF, Shell, Econet/DPA, and Blue Camel. The funding aims to develop next-generation hardware and software, scale commercial efforts, improve product development including the Infinity product as an alternative to unreliable diesel generators and lead-acid batteries, and enter new markets. TotalEnergies Ventures highlighted Zola's role in renewable solutions for emerging markets toward a low-carbon future. |
| Jan 2018 | Series D | GE Ventures (lead); Helios Fairfax Partners (lead); DBL Partners; Électricité de France; TESLA; Vulcan Capital; TotalEnergies Ventures; E3 Capital | $55M | Zola Electric (formerly Off-Grid Electric) is a renewable energy technology company providing intelligent batteries and digital energy solutions for homes and businesses in emerging markets, particularly Africa, Asia, and Latin America, integrated with grid, solar, or other sources and managed via SaaS software Vision. The company raised a $55 million Series D equity round in 2018, with investors including GE Ventures and Helios Fairfax Partners (now Helios Investment Partners). This round preceded a $90 million raise in September 2021 ($45M equity led by TotalEnergies Ventures, DBL Partners, Helios, Vulcan Capital; $45M debt from FMO, SunFunder) to scale technology and enter new markets, and overall funding exceeded $230M in debt and equity by 2021. By 2021, Zola served 1.5 million users across 10+ countries. |
| Aug 2016 | Series D | Helios Fairfax Partners (lead) | $10M | Zola Electric, originally Off-Grid Electric, provides solar-powered electricity solutions to residential and business customers in areas with unreliable or non-existent grid power. In August 2016, Helios Investment Partners invested $10 million in the company. The investment falls under clean energy and power in the private equity strategy. |
| Oct 2015 | Series C | DBL Partners (lead); Idinvest Partners (lead); Aster; Vulcan Capital; Omidyar Network; TotalEnergies Ventures; E3 Capital; Western Technology Investment; Serious Change | $25M | - |
| Dec 2014 | Series B | Zouk Capital; SolarCity; Vulcan Capital; IFC Venture Capital Group | $16M | Off Grid Electric, which later rebranded as Zola Electric, raised $16 million in a Series growth funding round in December 2014 led by SolarCity, Zouk Capital, and Vulcan Capital, with Vulcan Capital making its second investment in the company. The company, founded in late 2011 by Erica Mackey, Joshua Pierce, and Xavier Helgesen, provided off-grid solar energy solutions to rural communities in Tanzania and sub-Saharan Africa. At the time of the funding, the company had approximately 25,000 customers and aimed to expand to 100,000 customers, with plans to dramatically increase its product offering and service quality through engineering and operational breakthroughs. The capital was intended to expand the company's installation workforce while improving hardware and software, leveraging a pre-paid solar model similar to mobile phone financing in Africa. Post-money valuation, revenue figures, and EBITDA metrics for this round were not publicly disclosed. |
| Mar 2014 | Series A | Omidyar Network (lead); SolarCity (lead); Vulcan Capital | $7M | - |
Who has invested in Zola Electric?
19 investors have backed Zola Electric across its funding rounds, including Vulcan Capital, DBL Partners, TotalEnergies Ventures, Helios Fairfax Partners, Omidyar Network and E3 Capital.
Lead investors include TotalEnergies Ventures, GE Ventures, Helios Fairfax Partners, DBL Partners, Idinvest Partners and 2 other investors.
Zola Electric Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Participant | Mar 2014 | ||
| 3 | Lead | Oct 2015 | ||
| 3 | Lead | Aug 2016 | ||
| 3 | Lead | Oct 2015 | ||
| 2 | Lead | Mar 2014 | ||
| 2 | Lead | Mar 2014 | ||
| 2 | Participant | Oct 2015 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Dec 2014 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Oct 2015 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Jan 2018 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Sep 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Sep 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Jan 2018 | ||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all 19 Zola Electric investors. Start Free Trial | ||||
Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
Sign up to see data on 350K+ funding rounds and disclosed revenue and EBITDA valuation multiples, from seed, through growth stage, to pre-IPO.
Start Free TrialZola Electric Competitors
Zola Electric competitors include listed companies like GE Vernova, Iberdrola, China Yangtze Power and Constellation Energy, and private ones like Adani New Industries and Helion Energy.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicly listed | $38B | $3.2B | $246B | 5.4x | ||
| Publicly listed | $51B | $17B | $158B | 4.3x | ||
| Publicly listed | $13B | $11B | $104B | 11.3x | ||
| Publicly listed | $26B | $5B | $93B | 3.8x | ||
| Private | - | - | $50B | - | ||
| Private | - | - | $16B | - |
Zola Electric Public Comps
Zola Electric is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Aramco, ExxonMobil, Chevron, PetroChina, Shell, GE Vernova, TotalEnergies, Reliance Industries, NextEra Energy and ConocoPhillips.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $446B | $213B | 3.9x | 3.7x | 8.2x | 7.1x | |||
| $324B | $68B | 2.2x | 1.8x | 10.5x | 8.0x | |||
| $184B | $41B | 2.4x | 2.0x | 10.8x | 7.2x | |||
| $427B | $70B | 0.8x | 0.7x | 4.7x | 4.4x | |||
| $267B | $55B | 1.2x | 1.0x | 5.8x | 4.5x | |||
| $38B | $3.2B | 6.2x | 5.4x | 73.5x | 43.5x | |||
| $182B | $38B | 1.3x | 1.2x | 6.3x | 5.0x | |||
| $110B | $20B | 1.9x | 1.7x | 10.4x | 10.3x | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Zola Electric competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about Zola Electric
| When was Zola Electric founded? | Zola Electric was founded in 2011. |
| Where is Zola Electric headquartered? | Zola Electric is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. |
| Is Zola Electric publicly listed? | No, Zola Electric is a private, VC-backed company. |
| How much funding has Zola Electric raised? | Zola Electric has raised $158M across 6 funding rounds. |
| What was Zola Electric's last funding round? | Zola Electric's last funding round was a $45M undisclosed-stage round in September 2021, led by TotalEnergies Ventures. |
| Who are Zola Electric's investors? | Zola Electric's investors include Vulcan Capital, DBL Partners, Helios Fairfax Partners, TotalEnergies Ventures, SolarCity, Omidyar Network, E3 Capital, Zouk Capital, Aster, Électricité de France and 9 others. |
| Which companies are comparable to Zola Electric? | Companies comparable to Zola Electric include GE Vernova, Iberdrola, China Yangtze Power, Constellation Energy, Adani New Industries and Helion Energy. |
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