Working Group on local companies meeting 25 Sept 2023

At this meeting Kat Harrison of 60_Decibels presented on their customer impact surveys and their support from local companies via the "Inclusive Energy Opportunity" programme.

60__decibel is a social impact measurement company that uses local language telephone interviews to collect consumer-level impact performance data. Based on their 67,000+ interviews held to date they have developed insights in the impact of the off-grid energy sector.
Kat Harrison presented these insights, as well as the learning they were able to derive from the data, specifically looking at the off-grid energy sector.

On their website an interactive module can be accessed on all these benchmarks, including custom filters to zoom in on certain sectors and aspects.

By ranking all 160 companies in their database 60__decibels is able to provide insights in how a company is performing.

With funding from HSFG members Good Energies, the DOEN Foundation and FCDO (via their TEA programme at the Carbon Trust), 60__decibels initiated the “Inclusive Energy Opportunity”. This is looking specifically at locally-owned, women-led, early stage companies working in nascent markets and/or with nascent technologies.
Out of the 450+ applications they eventually selected 33 companies to work with. 60__decibels will provide these companies with customer insights, while their investment partners will assist the companies financially. The meeting concluded that the insights provided by 60__decibels are not only very relevant for the companies themselves as benchmark towards their peers, but certainly also for investors in their Due Diligence process.
GET.invest is currently evaluating the pilot phase of the Investment Readiness support and will engage with 60__decibels off line to see how their conclusions related to the insight from the Inclusive Energy Opportunity and to explore potential joint communication around in particular the impact local companies can make.