Okra Solar

About

Okra Solar builds integrated hardware and cloud-connected mesh-grid systems that share solar energy across neighboring homes and provide IoT monitoring, remote control for last-mile lighting, e-cooking, and water pumping.

Mission

Okra Solar develops a mesh-based solar solution that reallocates excess energy based on proximity, prioritizing neighboring homes rather than routing power to a centralized area. The approach is intended to increase efficiency and reduce costs, which the company says is particularly important in developing markets. Okra’s product targets last-mile electrification to provide basic services such as lighting, e-cooking and water pumping and to connect more people to the digital economy. CEO Afnan Hannan has framed mesh-grids as the most efficient path to electrifying off-grid communities, while noting regulatory updates are needed to reach widescale targets. The company won TechCrunch’s 2019 Hardware Battlefield in Shenzhen, an early recognition of its technology. Financially, Okra recently closed a Series A round that will fund its efforts to bring solar power to areas that presently lack access to electricity. Okra Solar builds integrated hardware and software solutions—including a Mesh-Grid that shares power across an interconnected network of homes and a cloud-based system for monitoring, maintenance, and remote control. Its platform leverages IoT and automation to make last-mile electrification affordable and sustainable, and the company says its tech has drawn demand from utility companies. Okra is focused on deployments in Nigeria, the Philippines, Haiti, and Cambodia and works with local governments to accelerate adoption. In Nigeria its technology has been approved for subsidies from a $550 million fund assembled by the World Bank, African Development Bank, and the Rural Electrification Agency. The company plans to scale production and R&D using newly raised capital and increase headcount from 28 to 35 by year-end, with a Series A planned to expand the team to roughly 50–60 employees.

Quick Facts