Zola Electric
Energy Equality for All
San Francisco, United States · Founded 2011 · $138.0M raised
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California
- Employees
- 201–500
- Founded
- 2011
- Business Model
- B2C
- Website
- zolaintelligence.com
- Total Funding
- $138.0M
- Last Round
- $90.0M Growth EquitySep 2021
- Rounds
- 5
Totals include recorded grants and other qualifying funding, not just equity. What counts toward funding.
About
Zola Electric (now operating as ZOLA Intelligence) is a clean energy technology company founded in 2011 by Xavier Helgesen, Erica Mackey, and Joshua Pierce, originally as Off Grid Electric in Tanzania, to bring affordable solar-powered electricity to off-grid homes across Africa. The company pioneered the 'Pay As You Go' financing model that allowed low-income customers to access solar power without large upfront costs, scaling to electrify over one million people across Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana. In 2025, Zola Electric rebranded as ZOLA Intelligence, evolving from a hardware-centric solar provider into an AI-powered technology platform that equips energy-as-a-service providers with end-to-end software for operations, delivery, financing, and maintenance — addressing energy inequality for billions of people in emerging markets.
Summary
Zola Electric is a Climate Tech company based in San Francisco, United States, founded in 2011. It has raised $138.0M in total across 5 rounds, most recently a $90.0M Growth Equity round in Sep 2021. Investors include GE Ventures, FMO and GGV Capital.
Tech & App Stack
2 technologies & apps tracked
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Funding History
Dec 2023
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Funding: Seed through Growth Equity. Amounts, valuations, and investors where available.
Investors
GE Ventures
2 rounds
FMO
1 round
GGV Capital
1 round
Total Energy Ventures
1 round
Helios Investment Partners
1 round
Aster
1 round
Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund
1 round
Symbiotics
1 round
Bessemer Venture Partners
1 round
DBL Partners
1 round
Primary VC
1 round
Greenspring
1 round
01 Advisors
1 round
Atreides Management
1 round
Vintage Capital
1 round
Slack Fund
1 round
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