Insights from the Field

A collection of articles, news, and thought pieces to keep you informed.

Featured Posts

Podcast

The State of the Sector: On Productive Partnerships and Leveraging Unique Resources toward a Global Climate Transition

Factor[e] Ventures | Jul 06, 2023

“If we want to reach SDG 7, in Africa alone, you need around $69B. That...

Blog

Thinking Outside the Ice-box: The Opportunity to Combat Food Waste in Sub-Saharan Africa with a Single Point of Dehydration

Factor[e] Ventures | Apr 26, 2023

  Cold chain infrastructure for agricultural produce still has a long way to go in...

Podcast

The State of the Sector: On Gender and Water Access in Africa

Factor[e] Ventures | Dec 05, 2022

"In emerging markets like Sub-Saharan Africa, where over 60% of the population are smallholder farmers,...

Report

Integrated Utilities: An Opportunity to Tackle Large-Scale Urban Poverty in Africa

Factor[e] Ventures | Sep 22, 2022

In this report, Factor[e] details our exploration of the economic viability of integrating utilities into...

Portfolio Metrics

Investments
Made

30

Portfolio Operating
Countries

44

Direct Full-Time Jobs Created

1425

Sustainable Livelihoods
Improved

53

Million

Greenhouse Gas
Emission Reduction

3

Million Metric Tons

Recent Posts

Odyssey Energy Solutions

Portfolio News

Boulder-based Odyssey Energy wins Keeling Curve Prize

Belle Raab | Jul 27, 2020

  We celebrate the achievement of our portfolio company Odyssey Energy Solutions who won the...

60Hertz

Article - Homer Microgrid News

60Hertz deploys its mobile O&M software – equipped with new language capabilities – to Africa and Southeast Asia

Lili Francklyn | Jul 27, 2020

60Hertz isn’t resting on the early success of its mobile app designed to improve operations...

Clean Crop Technologies

Investment Announcement

Factor[e] Invests in Clean Crop Technologies’ Next Generation Solution for Food Waste & Crop Loss

Belle Raab | Jun 08, 2020

We’re excited to announce our seed investment in Clean Crop Technologies. Press release can be found here....

Article

Silver Linings From the Factor[e] Portfolio

| May 15, 2020

The outbreak of COVID-19 has left no industry unaffected and we have been sobered by...

Opinion - Ventureburn

How African tech startups can pitch their story during Covid-19

Belle Raab | May 01, 2020

This article was originally published on Ventureburn. Attracting media attention to a pivotal part of...

Article - Next Billion

The Clock is Ticking on Energy Access: Exploring Factor[e] Ventures’ Big Bet on Mini-Grids

Amanda DelCore | Mar 06, 2020

Since 2010, the number of people without energy access has decreased from almost 1.2 billion...

Jit Bhattacharya

Hiring Announcement

Silicon Valley Entrepreneur Joins Impact Investing Firm Factor[e] Ventures

Belle Raab | Nov 19, 2019

Jit Bhattacharya to lead investments into energy and mobility solutions in the emerging markets. Press...

Investment Announcement

60Hertz Raises Seed Funding from Impact Investor Factor[e] Ventures

| Sep 27, 2019

We’re thrilled to announce another addition to our portfolio of microgrid technology companies that are...

Article

Redesigning S4S’ Solar Conduction Dryer to Further Empower Rural Farmers in India

Jordan Westerberg | Aug 06, 2019

Recently Factor[e] and portfolio company S4S Technologies took on the challenge of redesigning their patented...

Opinion

Impact Metrics… Strategy or Storytelling?

Morgan DeFoort | Jul 30, 2019

As early-stage impact investors, we at Factor[e] Ventures are often asked how we measure an investment’s impact....

Event

Factor[e] Co-hosted Impactful Investor Forum in Kenya

| Apr 23, 2019

Factor[e] Ventures recently co-hosted an Investor Forum in Nairobi, Kenya alongside EEP Africa and the...

Research Insights

Income Generating Appliances Study: Results and Video

Amanda DelCore | Jan 10, 2019

Powering income generating appliances with high-penetration renewable energy systems is not straightforward. To tackle this...

Research Insights

Solar Water Pump Market Sizing with Apollo Agriculture

| Dec 13, 2018

With the help of our portfolio company, Apollo Agriculture, we recently developed research methods to study...

Factor[e] Field Trip: Hands-On Look at Pump Applications

| Dec 10, 2018

Getting our hands dirty is fundamental to work at Factor[e]. We find immense benefit in,...

Article - Stanford Innovation Review

In Defense of “Doing Too Much”

| Mar 28, 2018

Seth Silverman Principal and Director of Africa Operations at Factor[e] Ventures recently wrote the following excerpt...

Entrepreneur in Residence – East Africa

| Mar 05, 2018

Factor[e] Venture’s Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) program seeks to empower East African entrepreneurs through support...