Hello and welcome to the Strawman, the daily climate newsletter that keeps you switched on just like a perfectly placed solar panel. We got you.

Today we’re checking out Yellow who just announced a new round of financing. Climate meets fintech meets changing the world. Let’s get in to it.

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Yellow gets the Green Light

This week, Yellow announced a $14m Series B fundraising to bring solar energy and electronics to emerging markets across Africa starting with Malawi.

Yellow provides consumers in Malwai with home solar kits and now they’re expanding across Subsaharan Africa - a geography which accounts for 75% of the world’s population that lives without electricity(!).

Their starter kit home solar product includes:

• a 6W - 10W panel

• a 20-50Wh battery

• 4 lights

• a phone charger

• a radio

Basically everything you might need to go camping with the boys. Forget about us though, Yellow’s solving a real problem and taking these solutions to the masses who need it the most.

Yellow’s customers pay $10 up front and the rest over instalments in the following six months, a monthly amount

which is in line with what they pay for alternatives like candles and kerosene lamps. Charge now, pay later if you will.

Yellow’s not alone in tackling this problem, a World Bank report last year found that Africa’s off-grid solar startups have raised a whooping $2.3 B in funding over the last decade.

Investors in the segment are optimistic that emerging economies will be able to leap-frog reliance on fossil fuels and move straight to cleaner solutions like solar.

There’s still a tonne of work to be done to make this future a reality but Yellow’s well on its way. While they’re saving the world, we’ll just keep writing this newsletter.

‘til next time.

The Strawman