What Jaza does

Jaza operates a decentralized renewable energy network serving off-grid communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Halifax, Canada, the company distributes custom-designed portable battery packs that customers swap at solar-powered charging hubs, eliminating the need for grid connection or utility infrastructure. The system is built around three integrated layers: rugged Jaza Battery Packs engineered for off-grid conditions with built-in safety and usage tracking, approximately 100 sqft Solar Charging Hubs that recharge packs in under two hours, and a connected software platform providing remote monitoring, inventory tracking, and demand forecasting. Distribution and customer operations are managed by 1,800+ 'Jaza Stars' — trained local women who operate hubs and serve as community-facing distributors across at least six countries, with formal regional operations in Tanzania and Nigeria.

The business model is a pay-as-you-go battery swap service generating recurring revenue from households and small businesses that lack reliable electricity. Customers access energy by swapping depleted packs for charged ones at nearby hubs rather than purchasing hardware outright, creating a subscription-style recurring revenue stream. The go-to-market is community-led: Jaza Stars recruit customers within their local networks, manage hub operations, and drive adoption through word-of-mouth. Marketing channels are primarily community-driven, complemented by website inquiry forms ('Get Power', 'Become a Jaza Star') that capture both customer demand and operator recruitment.

Jaza has powered over 1 million people and delivered more than 4 million kWh across East and West Africa. The company has raised approximately $4.1 million cumulatively since inception through rounds involving Active Impact Investments, Ceniarth, EEP Africa, the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, Creative Destruction Lab, Maple Leaf Angels, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Its leadership includes CEO Jeff Schnurr, CTO Sebastian Manchester, and country-level Managing Directors in Tanzania and Nigeria, with functional leads across supply chain, manufacturing, operations, and business insights.

Name

Jaza

Legal name

Jaza

Website

https://jazaenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jaza builds a decentralized renewable energy network of solar-powered charging hubs and portable battery packs for off-grid households and small businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa, distributed by trained local women operators across Tanzania, Nigeria, and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Off-Grid Solar Energy Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Distribution (221122)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)

Keywords

• Off-grid solar energy
• Decentralized energy network
• Portable battery packs
• Solar charging hubs
• Pay-as-you-go energy

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Battery Pack Energy Service: Jaza provides portable battery packs to households and businesses. Customers pay to swap depleted batteries at solar charging hubs operated by Jaza Stars. This creates recurring revenue through battery rental/swap fees for reliable off-grid energy access.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Jaza operates a decentralized solar energy network in Sub-Saharan Africa that delivers off-grid electricity to households and businesses through portable, rugged battery packs. Customers swap depleted batteries at solar-powered charging hubs operated by trained local women called Jaza Stars, paying recurring fees for reliable access to lighting, phone charging, fans, and small appliances without grid infrastructure.

Product overview

Jaza operates a decentralized energy network in Sub-Saharan Africa combining hardware, software, and human capital. The core offering consists of custom-designed Jaza Battery Packs (portable solar rechargeable units with remote monitoring), Solar Charging Hubs (infrastructure managed by trained operators for battery rotation), and a connected software platform enabling inventory tracking, demand forecasting, and network performance monitoring. The Jaza Stars Program trains local women to operate and manage the hubs, creating a human-centered distribution model. Together, these components form an integrated off-grid energy solution designed for scale and resilience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jaza Stars: Program that trains and employs local women to operate solar charging hubs and deliver energy services in their communities across Africa.

Products and services

• Jaza Battery Pack Custom-designed, rugged, portable battery packs engineered for off-grid African homes and businesses. Each pack supports lighting, phone charging, fans, and small appliances, includes built-in safety and usage tracking, and is remotely monitored for uptime and performance. Customers access power via recurring battery swaps at Jaza solar hubs.
• Solar Charging Hubs Solar-powered charging stations, approximately 100 sqft in solar array size, where Jaza battery packs are recharged under 2 hours. Each hub is operated by a Jaza Star and is capable of recharging thousands of batteries monthly, enabling decentralized energy distribution to off-grid communities in Tanzania and Nigeria.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million people powered across East and West Africa
• +4 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• M-KOPA: M-KOPA is a leading pay-as-you-go solar energy provider serving off-grid households across East Africa, including Tanzania and Nigeria. It is the most directly comparable peer to Jaza in business model (asset financing of solar home systems with recurring payments), target customer (off-grid African households), and product category (decentralized solar + battery).
• d.light: d.light designs, manufactures, and distributes affordable solar lanterns, home systems, and PAYG energy products across Sub-Saharan Africa and other emerging markets. It is a direct peer to Jaza in decentralized solar + battery solutions for off-grid households, with a similar pay-as-you-go commercial model.
• Zola Electric: Zola Electric (formerly Off Grid Electric) provides pay-as-you-go solar home and business energy systems across Sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania. It is a direct peer to Jaza in distributed solar + storage products sold via PAYG to off-grid customers, with overlapping target geographies.
• Sun King (Greenlight Planet): Sun King (formerly Greenlight Planet) sells pay-as-you-go solar lanterns and home systems to off-grid households in Africa and South Asia, including Nigeria. It is a direct peer to Jaza in PAYG solar + battery products for off-grid consumers, competing for the same end customer and similar product use cases.
• BBOXX: BBOXX provides pay-as-you-go solar home systems with batteries to off-grid households across Africa, including East Africa. It is a direct peer to Jaza in distributed solar + battery products sold on PAYG terms, with comparable target customer and product category.
• Husk Power Systems: Husk Power Systems operates decentralized mini-grids and solar home systems serving off-grid communities in Africa and Asia, including Nigeria. It is comparable to Jaza in deploying distributed solar generation and storage to off-grid African customers, although its core product is mini-grids rather than battery swaps.
• Fenix International (an ENGIE company): Fenix International, acquired by ENGIE, provides pay-as-you-go solar home systems in Uganda and other African markets, with mobile-money enabled payments. It is comparable to Jaza in PAYG distributed solar + battery products for off-grid African households, with similar recurring-revenue economics.

Regional players

• PowerGen Renewable Energy: PowerGen builds and operates mini-grids and distributed solar systems across East Africa, including Tanzania and Kenya. It is a regional peer to Jaza in decentralized solar + storage for off-grid African communities, with overlapping geographic footprint but a mini-grid rather than battery-swap product.

Emerging players

• BioLite: BioLite designs and distributes solar-powered home energy products, including lanterns and chargers, primarily across East Africa and other emerging markets. It is an emerging peer to Jaza in portable solar + battery products for off-grid households, with overlapping use cases (lighting, phone charging) but a different go-to-market model.

Others

• SolarAid / SunnyMoney: SolarAid (via SunnyMoney) distributes affordable solar lights and energy products across Sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania. While a nonprofit rather than a PAYG utility, it is thematically adjacent to Jaza in tackling energy access for off-grid African households with distributed solar products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jazaenergy

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors11 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jaza