NeedEnergy
NeedEnergy is a Zimbabwe-based energy-tech startup that provides AI-powered energy management via its Memeza.Ai platform, serving residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural consumers across Africa with smart metering, DERMS, virtual grids, and solar generation assets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBulawayo, Zimbabwe
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What NeedEnergy does
NeedEnergy is a Zimbabwe-based energy-tech startup incorporated in 2019 as a subsidiary of The NEEDGROUP (founded 2015, incorporated 2017). The company develops AI and machine learning-powered energy management solutions targeting Africa's decentralized energy needs, serving residential, commercial, industrial (notably mines), and agricultural customers. NeedEnergy's core offering is the Memeza.Ai platform, which provides real-time energy monitoring, consumption analytics, anomaly detection, and predictive optimization for distributed energy assets. The platform supports a broader product ecosystem including a Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS), Virtual Power Plants, Virtual Grids, LP Gas Smart Metering, smart electricity and gas meters, and a planned Power and Energy Trading Platform. The company holds 3 patents in Data Analytics and Machine Learning, has monitored over 20,000 kWh on its platform, and is developing a 6MW solar farm that has been in progress since 2018.
NeedEnergy monetizes through multiple revenue streams: subscription access to the Memeza.Ai platform, one-time installation fees starting at $150 per smart meter deployment, pay-as-you-go "Energy as a Service" for LP Gas smart metering, hardware sales of smart meters, professional services for grid and digital solutions, and longer-term enterprise project contracts. The go-to-market is sales-led with both email-based quote requests and a self-serve platform at memeza.io/login, targeting enterprise clients via dedicated customer success (Puma Energy Zimbabwe is referenced as a customer) and consumer/SMB buyers via product-led channels. Distribution combines direct field sales for installations with strategic partnerships (notably Omdena for AI solar forecasting in Sub-Saharan Africa) and digital marketing presence on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Marketing is currently concentrated on organic social and content channels rather than paid acquisition.
NeedEnergy operates with a small core team of 8 specialized leaders covering team, technology, operations, engineering, design, finance, business development, and development functions, indicating an early-stage execution team. Geographic focus is Zimbabwe with stated ambitions and partnerships extending into Sub-Saharan Africa. No certifications, regulatory actions, mergers, or acquisitions are disclosed, and there are no disclosed funding amounts beyond accelerator participation and a recent Investisseurs & Partenaires engagement. Key execution milestones to monitor are commissioning of the 6MW solar farm, diversification beyond Puma Energy Zimbabwe on the enterprise side, and conversion of monitored kWh telemetry into recurring platform revenue across the residential and commercial long tail.
NeedEnergy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NeedEnergy
- Legal name
- NeedEnergy
- Website
- https://needenergy.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- NeedEnergy is a Zimbabwe-based energy-tech startup that provides AI-powered energy management via its Memeza.Ai platform, serving residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural consumers across Africa with smart metering, DERMS, virtual grids, and solar generation assets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NeedEnergy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Energy Management Software
- NAICS
- Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Generation (22111)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Building Energy Management & Demand Flexibility Software (BEMS, Optimization) (EUAFAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Energy Management Systems (EMS), SCADA & Dispatch/Optimization Software for Storage (EUAFAAAF), Demand Response, Load Flexibility & Smart Thermostat Aggregation (EUADAPAM), Microgrid & BTM EMS (Site/Facility Energy Optimization) (EUAFAKAD)
Keywords
Where NeedEnergy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bulawayo
- HQ country
- Zimbabwe
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
NeedEnergy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Energy Management Platform Subscription: Subscription-based access to Memeza.Ai platform for energy monitoring and analytics services.
- Installation Services: One-time installation fees for smart meters and energy monitoring equipment, starting at $150 per installation.
- Energy as a Service: Pay-as-you-go energy service model including LP Gas smart metering. Clients connected through smart network of gas meters with tracking and pay-as-you-go functionality.
- Power Generation Solutions: Developing power generation plants and energy assets in response to energy demands. Includes 6MW solar farm development.
- Grid Solutions and Digital Services: Expertise, technology integration and digital solutions for electricity and gas grids. Solutions for both clients and service providers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Starting at $150/installation |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Energy as a Service (EaaS) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom Project Quote |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
NeedEnergy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NeedEnergy provides an AI and machine learning-powered energy management ecosystem built around the Memeza.Ai platform, offering real-time energy monitoring, smart electricity and LP gas metering, and big data analytics to deliver tailored renewable energy solutions. The platform supports distributed energy resource management, virtual power plants, virtual grids, and an emerging energy trading layer for residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural consumers.
Product overview
NeedEnergy offers a unified energy management ecosystem centered on the Memeza.Ai platform, which integrates AI-driven analytics with distributed energy resources. The core offering includes the Memeza.Ai Energy Management Platform for real-time consumption monitoring, complemented by LP Gas Smart Metering for pay-as-you-go gas services. Supporting infrastructure includes a Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS), Virtual Power Plants, Virtual Grids, and a Power and Energy Trading Platform. Smart meters (both electricity and gas variants) serve as the hardware layer connecting installations to the virtual grid. The ecosystem enables consumers to generate their own power from solar, monitor consumption, and trade energy within the virtual network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Memeza.Ai: AI-powered energy management platform that enables energy consumers to monitor energy usage in real-time, utilizing machine learning and AI to provide tailor-made renewable energy solutions. Also includes LP Gas Smart Metering with pay-as-you-go service.
Products and services
- Memeza.Ai Energy Management Platform AI and machine learning-powered platform that enables energy consumers to monitor their energy and power consumption in real-time, using big data analytics to deliver tailor-made renewable energy solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural users.
- LP Gas Smart Metering Smart gas metering service that allows clients to track LP gas consumption and pay-as-you-go through the Memeza platform, creating a virtual grid connecting clients and gas service providers.
- Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) Platform that helps distribution system operators (DSOs) manage grids primarily based on distributed energy resources, enabling smart energy built environments for utility and grid operators.
- Virtual Power Plants and Virtual Grids Virtual networks for power generation and gas networks that aggregate distributed energy assets and consumers into a unified, remotely managed system.
- Power and Energy Trading Platform Platform intended to enable trading among virtual energy networks, allowing energy exchange between distributed generators and consumers within the Memeza ecosystem.
- Smart Energy Meters Smart electricity and gas meters installed on customer sites that connect installations to the Memeza virtual grid, enabling real-time consumption tracking and pay-as-you-go functionality.
- Installation Services On-site deployment and installation of smart meters and energy monitoring equipment at customer sites, available for residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural setups.
- LPG On-Demand Ordering Mobile Application On-demand ordering mobile application for LPG gas introduced by The NEEDGROUP in 2017 as NeedEnergy's initial product offering.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20,000+ kWh of energy monitored and analyzed on Memeza.Ai platform
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use NeedEnergy
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
NeedEnergy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature5 records
NeedEnergy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- OmdenacoreSolar forecasting partnership with Omdena focused on Sub-Saharan Africa applications. This collaborative AI project applies artificial intelligence to industrial decarbonization, specifically in solar energy forecasting to improve renewable energy integration and grid management. The partnership is part of Omdena's collaborative AI projects addressing climate challenges.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NeedEnergy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SparkMeter: SparkMeter provides smart metering hardware plus cloud-based energy management and pay-as-you-go billing, with strong focus on mini-grids and emerging markets. Highly comparable to NeedEnergy's Memeza smart-meter + SaaS combo serving off-grid and weak-grid customers in Africa.
- M-KOPA: M-KOPA is a leading pay-as-you-go solar and energy-access provider in East Africa, financing distributed solar and connected appliances for off-grid households. Comparable to NeedEnergy's pay-as-you-go LPG smart metering model and its focus on African energy access.
- Sun King (Greenlight Planet): Sun King sells pay-as-you-go solar home systems across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia via an agent distribution network. Overlaps with NeedEnergy on pay-as-you-go energy hardware for residential and commercial consumers in African markets.
- Zola Electric: Zola Electric provides pay-as-you-go solar-plus-storage solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa, combining distributed generation with connected metering. Directly comparable business model to NeedEnergy's EaaS and smart metering offerings in the same region.
Emerging players
- AutoGrid: AutoGrid (acquired by Schneider Electric) provides a DERMS and Virtual Power Plant platform for utilities and aggregators. Overlaps with NeedEnergy's DERMS, VPP, and Virtual Grid software capabilities, though AutoGrid focuses on utility-scale customers in OECD markets.
- Uplight: Uplight offers an energy management and customer engagement platform for utilities, including DER orchestration and demand response. Comparable to the Memeza.Ai platform's optimization and DERMS functionality, though Uplight serves North American utilities.
- EnergyHub: EnergyHub provides a DERMS platform used by utilities to manage residential and commercial distributed energy resources, including smart thermostats and solar. Functionally aligned with NeedEnergy's DERMS/VPP software targeting multi-asset customer sites.
- Voltus: Voltus is a Virtual Power Plant operator that aggregates distributed energy assets to deliver demand response and grid services to utility and ISO markets. Closely comparable to NeedEnergy's Virtual Power Plant concept, though Voltus operates primarily in North American wholesale markets.
Broad incumbents
- Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure): Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure platform spans building energy management, DERMS (via AutoGrid), and smart-grid solutions globally. A broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities to NeedEnergy's building and grid energy-management stack.
- Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Siemens Smart Infrastructure offers building energy management, grid software (PSS, Spectrum Power), and DER integration for utilities and industrial customers. Comparable to NeedEnergy across both the building EMS and grid-side software layers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NeedEnergy social profiles
Digital presenceNeedEnergy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NeedEnergy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
NeedEnergy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NeedEnergy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NeedEnergy
What does NeedEnergy do?
NeedEnergy provides an AI and machine learning-powered energy management ecosystem built around the Memeza.Ai platform, offering real-time energy monitoring, smart electricity and LP gas metering, and big data analytics to deliver tailored renewable energy solutions. The platform supports distributed energy resource management, virtual power plants, virtual grids, and an emerging energy trading layer for residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural consumers.
Is NeedEnergy a public or private company?
NeedEnergy is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was NeedEnergy founded?
NeedEnergy was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NeedEnergy based?
NeedEnergy is headquartered in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in the Africa region.
How does NeedEnergy make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Energy Management Platform Subscription is the primary driver. The others are installation Services, energy as a Service, power Generation Solutions and grid Solutions and Digital Services.
Who are NeedEnergy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SparkMeter, M-KOPA, Sun King (Greenlight Planet) and Zola Electric. Emerging players are AutoGrid, Uplight, EnergyHub and Voltus. Broad incumbents are Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure) and Siemens Smart Infrastructure.
Does NeedEnergy have an API?
No public API is recorded for NeedEnergy.
What industry is NeedEnergy in?
NeedEnergy's product category is Energy Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAFAGAK, Building Energy Management & Demand Flexibility Software (BEMS, Optimization), with a secondary code of EUAFAAAF, Energy Management Systems (EMS), SCADA & Dispatch/Optimization Software for Storage. Its NAICS code is 2211 and its SIC code is 7373.