Zola Electric

Energy Equality for All

San Francisco, United States · Founded 2011 · $138.0M raised

Employees
201–500
Founded
2011
Business Model
B2C
Total Funding
$138.0M
Last Round
$90.0M Growth EquitySep 2021
Rounds
5

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 Total Energy Ventures.

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Funding History

Debt FinancingDebt FinancingDec 2023
$32.5M

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Investors

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