Africa’s energy future isn’t built by dreamers. It’s built today, by doers.

We believe tomorrow is built today. It’s crafted by seasoned professionals who understand technology trends and where things are heading.

Our Story

Inspired Evolution established in 2007 as a specialised investment advisory business dedicated to two climate-driven principal investment themes: clean energy infrastructure-type development and project finance investments; and energy and resource efficiency growth investments – and the value chains that support them. Inspired Evolution’s African advisory platform prioritises investment-grade countries identified through the application of rigorous composite market, regulatory and bankability criteria.

Inspired Evolution’s success has been the result of refining a set of core investment principles and competencies which underpin our investment approach. Our agility and flexible strategies ensure that investments are tailored to specific countries and regions within Africa’s target markets. Through our lens of leadership, innovation and sustainability, we have developed a credible track record of superior investor returns bolstered by the team’s complimentary skills set and experience, offering over 250 years of collective track record in private equity and venture capital investing, technology innovation, climate finance and corporate governance.

Our mission is to bring positive, lasting impact to Africa’s extraordinary people

By accelerating clean, affordable energy, promoting energy access, and supporting resource-efficient technology-driven companies to reduce energy and resource intensity, we help build a better and more climate-resilient African future.

Our values

We are committed to Investment Leadership with Rigour and Integrity
We are Passionate about our High-Performance Culture
We Innovate with Curiosity
We embrace Sustainability through Responsible Investing
We Unite our expertise as One Inspired Team

Our strategy

Active investment in more than 10 GW of renewable energy generation projects

Inspired Evolution offers a dedicated, multi-disciplinary professional investment team with a proven track record targeting superior returns with measured development outcomes.

The team is constantly adapting and replicating its successful active investment management approach, strengthening its position as a leading advisory platform and equity partner in the region.

Over the past 18 years, Inspired Evolution has contributed to developing more than 10 GW of renewable energy generation projects with multiple successes under utility-scale competitive public-private procurement environments as well as financing private-to-private commercial and industrial installations. Inspired Evolution is also actively involved in distributed generation strategies involving mini and micro-grids as well as off-grid energy access companies.

Fund investment themes

Inspired Evolution is dedicated to three principal investment themes:  clean energy infrastructure-type development and project finance investments; energy access; and energy and resource efficiency growth investments – and the value chains that support them.

As we work towards crafting our next generation investment funds, our investment themes remain relevant to Africa’s net zero climate response. We are looking to broaden our mitigation track record with mandates and strategies that include adaptation and other crucial climate-related finance themes.

Our investment criteria

We invest in projects, developer platforms and growth companies using the following broad criteria to guide investment evaluation decisions

  • Proven technology with limited execution risk.
  • Demonstrable business strategy and validation of product/service market adoption.
  • Platform applications (isolated projects where justified).
  • Scalability.
  • Appropriately skilled management teams with proven track records.
  • Option to take equity in the developer and/or pre-permitted projects (preferred).
  • Demonstrated project conversion developer track record.
  • Where cost control influence (overheads) can be effected.
  • Validation of pipeline with clear visibility of cash generation.
  • Project inputs (feedstock) and PPAs are in place with credit-worthy offtakers.
  • Technology provider guarantees to be available.
  • Country risk mitigation and government support.
  • EPC and O&M contracts on acceptable terms.
  • Senior long-term debt is available at the appropriate terms and tenor.
  • Clear exit potential before the end of fund life.

We also ensure portfolio business activities are in full compliance with all relevant national and international laws, treaties and regulations and our funds’ rigorous environmental and social management system (ESMS) as well as screened against our exclusion list of disallowed business activities.

Our investment process

  1. 01

    Investment Review

  1. 02

    Non-Binding Term Sheet

  1. 03

    Preliminary Investment Commitee

  1. 04

    Due Diligence

  1. 05

    Final Investment Committee

  1. 06

    Executed Transaction Agreements

Corporate governance

Inspired Evolution offers strong governance principles, practices and experience.

We have forged an active investment management approach built around trust, ethics and climate-resilient responsible development. We embrace a deep ethos of inclusive community participation and impact through our business and portfolio companies’ operations. We are actively engaged in the management of our infrastructure assets and provide advice on value creation, business planning and implementation strategies. We have established robust performance, stakeholder, KYC, AML, reputational and risk management policies and processes linked to international best-practice standards.

Managing Partner, Executive Director and Investment Committee member
Cape Town
Managing Partner, Executive Director and Investment Committee member
London

Memberships and Affiliations

Through meaningful local, regional and global partnerships and affiliations we strive to ensure that our investment advisory business and our investment partners enjoy the benefits of the diversity of our region at every level of operation. We also fuel our curiosity and innovation through active memberships with relevant industry associations and global networks.

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