FRENCH impact investor, Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) has made its first investment in Zimbabwe under its €4,8 million (US$5,18 million) I&P Digital Energy programme aimed at supporting African start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Founded in 2002, I&P is a pioneering impact investment group entirely dedicated to financing and supporting SMEs and start-ups in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Over the years, I&P has gradually expanded its scope, first with a strategic focus on West Africa with Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, but also the Sahel, supporting companies in countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Niger, then strengthening its presence in English-speaking countries such as Ghana and Nigeria,” I&P said in a statement.
“More recently, I&P continued this expansion towards Southern Africa with its first investment in Zimbabwe in the company NeedEnergy, a company specialising in smart and clean energy solutions, using artificial intelligence and machine learning to meet the growing energy needs in Africa.”
NeedEnergy, founded in 2019, developed an energy management platform that allows users to monitor their energy consumption in real time, manage distributed electricity networks, and facilitate energy trading between microgrids and end users.
NeedEnergy deploys smart meters connected to its Memeza.ai platform, which then monitors the production, demand and prices of each decentralised energy source in real time, while anticipating market fluctuations.
“NeedEnergy has also been recognised for its innovation by being a finalist for the Start Up Energy Transition Award in 2025.
“It has also participated in acceleration programs such as Techstars Energy Accelerator in 2023 and Creative Destruction Lab, thus reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and smart energy solutions for the African continent,” I&P said.
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“This first financing in Zimbabwe is part of the I&P Digital Energy program, which aims to support high-potential companies offering sustainable and accessible energy solutions in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Funded by the European Union and implemented by the French Development Agency, the program is being rolled out by I&P’s local teams and by Gaia Impact Fund (Gaia Impact), a specialist in impact investing in renewable energy in Africa and Asia.”
The Gaia Impact Fund is an investment fund specialising in the renewable energy sector.
“NeedEnergy is supported by I&P Digital Energy, a €4.8 million program aimed at financing and supporting a dozen start-ups and SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa that offer digital solutions for access to affordable energy, supported by the French Development Agency and the European Union,” I&P said.
In Zimbabwe, this programme is being implemented by Gaia Impact.
“This partnership will allow this start-up to fund the purchase of smart metres to expand its operations, meet strong customer demand, and provide critical data to drive its Memeza.ai smart platform,” I&P said.
It will also improve its software to refine its assumptions, particularly on electricity trading and demand forecasts, strengthen its team, and increase the firm’s visibility through marketing campaigns.
