A rural electrification start-up is spreading the light to Nigeria and the DRC.

As part of an EUR27 million capital raise, solar-powered mini-grid company WeLight, launched in 2018 and based in Madagascar, has added the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to its list of shareholders, reports Africa Business Communities

Backed by Axian, Sagemcom and Norfund, WeLight has set up almost 200 solar-powered mini-grids, supplying electricity to more than 800 000 people in rural areas.

In line with the Mission 300 initiative, led by the World Bank and AfDB, WeLight plans to deploy more than 1 000 mini-grids by 2030.

‘IFC’s arrival marks a major step for WeLight. This investment allows us to build a pan-African platform across the main rural electrification markets and to bring together reference partners to support our large-scale deployment,’ says Romain de Villeneuve, WeLight CEO.

30 June 2026
image: Unsplash