Zola Electric

The company has since evolved from a hardware distributor to an enterprise technology platform provider, rebranding to Zola Electric to reflect this broader strategy. Today, the firm operates under the name Zola Intelligence, emphasizing its AI-powered platform that enables local energy providers to scale their services. This core platform, ZOLA iNTELLIGENCE (ZOLAi), integrates smart hardware, proprietary software (VISION), and a suite of services to manage sales, installations, payments, and remote monitoring. Zola's products include a range of modular, plug-and-play solar and battery storage systems like the INFINITY and Flex Max, designed for homes, businesses, schools, and clinics in both rural and peri-urban settings. These systems can operate off-grid, connect to an unreliable grid, or form distributed mini-grids.

Zola Electric's business model is primarily B2B, partnering with local distributors and integrators such as EDF and Shell to deploy its solutions. Revenue is generated from the sale of these systems and through the PAYG model, which allows end-users to make payments via mobile money. This approach also helps build a credit history for customers, potentially unlocking access to other financial services. Led by CEO Bill Lenihan since 2015, the company has expanded its reach to serve over two million people across more than 10 countries on four continents, including Tanzania, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Ghana.