​It is with great sadness that we have to announce today that our dear employee Joyce Obodai-Adjei has unexpectedly passed away. Especially in a young startup company like EWIA, which is characterized by optimism and growth, it is very hard to publish such sad news. This is a tough loss.  

The management and team are still devastated. As one of EWIA's first employees in Ghana, Joyce was instrumental in building up our administration and local office. Our CEO Ralph Schneider and Sales Director Nana Boateng already had the opportunity to work with Joyce at Yingli Solar and have come to appreciate her as a highly motivated and dedicated colleague over the years. Joyce was also highly respected by customers, partners and colleagues alike.
 
Joyce was 46 years old and is survived by her husband and four children. Our thoughts and sympathy are with her family. Condolences from customers and business partners will of course be passed on to the family. 

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We will miss Joyce and always remember her fondly for the joy she spread. May she rest in peace. 

• Close cooperation planned for PV and telecoms projects C

• Poor power supply slows down growth opportunities for businesses

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Munich, 16th May 2023 The three companies EWIA Green Investments, KGAL and SunErgy GmbH have reached an agreement to cooperate in several African countries in the future. The common goal is the realisation and financing of solar plants for commercial and industrial (C&I) as well as telecommunications infrastructure projects in West and East Africa.

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With this cooperation, EWIA wants to support the expansion in sub-Saharan Africa. The cooperation is an important milestone in the diversification strategy of the company, which offers solar-as-a-service solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises. The organisations complement each other perfectly in the realisation, financing and operation of grid-connected plants and mini-grid/stand-alone solutions in Africa.

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"Germany and Europe want to import more energy produced in Africa in the future, for example in the form of green hydrogen. But the need for renewable energy is also growing in Africa. 600 million people on the continent still have to manage completely without electricity supply," says Ralph Schneider, co-founder and managing director of EWIA. "Poor electricity supply is also a bottleneck for business development, thus slowing down economic growth, the creation of new jobs and the prospects for broader prosperity."
"People and companies in Africa and Europe should benefit equally from the expansion of renewable energies," says Dr Alexander Ergenzinger, KGAL's investment manager and Managing Director of SunErgy GmbH. KGAL is one of the pioneers in financing photovoltaic plants. The first megawatt-class solar parks in Germany were financed as early as 2004/2005. "By cooperating with EWIA, we are combining forces and know-how to address the growing demand for affordable, reliable and sustainably generated energy in Africa." 

SunErgy – Solar specialist with many years of experience in Africa
SunErgy (https://sunergy-power.org) was founded in Norway in 2010 and aims to supply communities in emerging countries with off-grid solar energy through small turnkey solar power plants. These are connected directly to the customers' buildings via their own electricity grid, so-called mini-grids.  SunErgy's activities are organised through SunErgy GmbH in Germany and its two subsidiaries in Cameroon, SunErgy Ltd. and 2 Mites Ltd.  SunErgy Cameroon is responsible for the construction as well as operation of the solar power plants in Cameroon and for the construction of solar power plants in other African countries. In May 2012, the company entered into an agreement with the Republic of Cameroon to supply solar power to 92 villages of about 115,000 families or 600,000 people, as well as schools, health centres, private and public enterprises, etc. in the Southwest region of Cameroon. In addition, SunErgy has stakes in companies in Kenya and Uganda. 

New regions and investment themes are the business purpose of KNF Beteiligungs-GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of KGAL GmbH & Co. KG (https://www.kgal.de). KNF Beteiligungs-GmbH already invested in the former SunErgy AS Oslo in 2019. Its registered office was moved to Grünwald near Munich in 2021, where KGAL also has its headquarters. KGAL is an independent German investment and asset manager with over 350 employees. With an investment volume under management of more than 16 billion euros (as of 31 December 2022), it is primarily active in the real estate, aircraft and renewable energy sectors. 

EWIA Founder and Director West Africa Wolf-Dietrich Fugger 

Who are the people behind EWIA Green Investments? What drives them, what is important to them? Today, co-founder and Director West Africa Dr Wolf-Dietrich Fugger introduces himself in an interview and describes when he first came into contact with Africa, why Ghana has become his second home and why the founding of EWIA was almost a matter of course.

Hello, Wolf! How and why did you become an entrepreneur/founder?

My grandfather had an agricultural business, so I have known the principle of sowing and harvesting since I was a child. So I learned from practical experience to weigh risks, make decisions, sow new seeds and take responsibility.

After various scientific activities, I worked at the Research Centre Jülich in the field of technology assessment and carried out technology appraisals (opportunity and risk assessment) of new technologies (energy, mobile communications, biotechnology, etc.) for investors who wanted to invest in new technologies/start-ups as venture investors. During this time I got to know many new business ideas and breakthrough technologies and the opportunities that arise from them, which inspired me.

Is EWIA your first start-up?

No, in my life so far I have been active in corporate finance and M&A for many years. At the same time, over the last ten years, I have repeatedly looked for business opportunities - not charity - in Ghana, including in the agricultural, solar and raw materials sectors, in order to do something different and meaningful.

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What problem would you like to solve first and foremost with your company?

Life without electricity is unthinkable for us in Germany! For many countries in Africa and the people living there, power cuts - still today - are nothing special! Even South Africa is currently experiencing major (home-made) problems with the power supply in almost all major cities, which is leading to so-called "load shedding", as the "planned (and sometimes unplanned) power cuts lasting several hours" are called there. These are blackouts that plunge entire regions or city districts into darkness for up to eleven hours. Moreover, many regions in Africa are not even electrified.

The energy sector in Ghana with its recurring problems with the power grid since the 90s, long-lasting power cuts, the simultaneously very high electricity costs and the use of even more expensive diesel generators, which are also harmful to the environment, more or less imposed themselves on me.

You are focused on Africa and your passion for Africa is hard to miss. What is it about Africa that excites you so much?

Even as a child, Africa and "the unfamiliar" there fascinated me. Today, I am particularly fascinated by the many and extreme contrasts and the joy of life, the friendliness and openness of the people despite all their challenges, as well as the colourful, "hectic" and always noisy hustle and bustle on the streets.

From 1993 to 1996 I was already working for the University of Göttingen in a large research network of different universities in Northern Ghana. In my project on measuring the sustainability of local peasant farming systems and their socio-economic impact, I had about 50 people in the team in Ghana, ranging from laboratory assistants, field technicians, drivers, foremen to field workers. This made me one of the biggest employers in this rural area in Northern Ghana and I had gone from being a scientist to a manager.

It was during my employment that I met my wife. Family relationships, friendships and contacts in business and politics in Ghana have been kept up by me over the years since then. Ghana has become my second home. But since then, I have also had a piece of Africa at home here in Germany!

Today, I know many countries and their cultures in West Africa and also spent several months in Madagascar (East Africa) as a consultant.

What can Europe learn from Africa?

Europe is not the center of the world! On the contrary, Europe must now seek its place anew in a new world order, also and especially in Africa.

Europe needs Africa! Africa is the continent of awakening, of rapid growth and change & transformation. When we in Europe think about the future of the world economy, we should therefore turn our gaze to Africa! Both politically and economically, Africa is of crucial importance for Europe. In this context, a partnership at equal footing is appropriate in order to build close and stable relations and to develop the potentials that present themselves together with the African partners. Today, African countries are very self-confident and choose their partners themselves. The people in Africa are very open to cooperation with Europe and especially with Germany!

If you didn't work at EWIA, where would you work?

This is a hypothetical question and does not really arise for me. In all likelihood, as an entrepreneur with a vision of building something else in Africa, I would probably have founded or participated in another impact company with suitable partners.

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Do you have role models in the broadest sense?

Entrepreneurs with passion, a willingness to take risks, high social competence and responsibility.

In particular, Mo Ibrahim, from Sudan, as an African pioneer in the telecommunications industry in Africa and founder of a foundation dedicated to governance and leadership.

What do you consider to be the most important invention of mankind?

That's not a simple answer, because there have been many groundbreaking inventions in the past. To name two examples, the car with the new possibilities of mobility and transport, and the telephone for direct communication with people who are not in the same place.

Which book has influenced you the most and which is the last book you read?

The Bible, as an everyday guide in all areas, I read it every morning as part of my morning routine and devotions to orient myself for the day.

If you had one wish, for example from a fairy godmother? What would it be?

To live to a ripe old age and be in the best of health.

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And where do we often meet you at the weekend?

On the doorstep, in the countryside around Munich, enjoying the wonderful landscape with the mountains and lakes. Or at home, where you can recharge your batteries and unwind.

EWIA founder and CFO Timo Schäfer
Who are the people behind EWIA Green Investments? What drives them, what is important to them? Today, co-founder and CFO Timo Schäfer introduces himself in an interview and explains what it means to him to be an entrepreneur, why he would not call himself an "Africa expert" and why the dishwasher was an epoch-making invention.

Hello Timo! How and why did you become an entrepreneur?
I grew up in a family business, which was successfully run by the third generation until both my parents sold it a few years ago. That means I didn't know anything else for a long time. The fact that there is also something like a division into a working life from 08:00 to 17:00 and a private life during the rest of the time was not familiar to me for a long time. Entrepreneurship was therefore in my blood, so to speak, but it took a few years until the right constellation of people and business purpose came together. 

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Is EWIA your first foundation?
Yes, after many ideas failed on paper in the planning phase. For me, being an entrepreneur means creating something meaningful 365 days a year and bearing responsibility for people, the environment and investors. With such a personal commitment, the question of meaning is considerable and EWIA answers it: global CO2 reduction and local enhancement of individual quality of life on the Africa continent of opportunity. For me, being an entrepreneur means leading with values and creating something new, something better, which did not exist before. That is why I became a founder and entrepreneur.

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What problem would you like to solve first and foremost with your company?
I can't save the world with EWIA, but I can make it a bit more liveable for many people every day. The fascinating thing about our business model is the three-fold benefit: Ecology, Social and Economy are inseparably united in our business model and are mutually dependent. 
Let's argue from the customer's point of view. Our product saves costs for our customer, besides it saves CO2 through clean electricity production (no fossil grid electricity or diesel power). In addition, the local, medium-sized company becomes more competitive and can offer more employment and higher salaries. Therefore, I have a satisfied customer who is happy to pay his monthly bill. For us and our investors, this means not only an economic but also an ecological and social return.

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You are focused on Africa and your passion for Africa is hard to miss. What is it about Africa that excites you so much?
I have visited several African countries in my life. However, just as there is no such thing as the "dolce vita" of Italy or the supposed German punctuality in Europe, there is no such thing as the continent of Africa. 
I got to know Africa as a consultant in the service of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). In Ethiopia in 2010, I was fascinated by the friendliness of the people and the extreme poverty in the countryside. In the same year, I travelled to Uganda. Now I had my "Africa image" of Ethiopia firmly anchored in my head and in Kampala I encountered a completely different culture and a modern nightlife that I knew more from the music clubs of Rimini.
In 2011, I set foot on West African soil for the first time in Ghana. My first impression was: "What a colourful, bright and loud country!" Ghanaians love loud music, but over which I struggle to hold a conversation. 
What unites all these countries, however, is the young society and the challenge that comes with such an age pyramid. Quite similar to the retirement home of Germany, but in reverse; our skilled workers are retired and the young African countries lack skilled workers, knowledge and experience. However, this challenge is met with what I find a fascinating lightness and a talent for improvisation that I can only wish for in Germany.

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What can Europe learn from Africa?
Improvisation, serenity, cheerfulness and living in the here and now. 
I have been living in Ghana again since 2021 and have the opportunity to look at Germany with a certain distance. I am often surprised at how stubbornly we cling to old technologies out of fear, even though science shows us the dawn. For example, I would like to see more of a spirit of optimism when it comes to shutting down nuclear reactors. After all, if rich Germany can't manage the turnaround to renewable energies, which country will? We can learn courage and curiosity to create something new - as I have come to know Ghana and what I appreciate so much about this country.

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If you were not working at EWIA, where would you work?
I would probably be working in sustainability management/controlling in a corporate holding company and privately be involved with the countries of Africa. Therefore, I am very happy with EWIA: to be able to live a life where I can combine my professional and private life with the extremely meaningful activity of financing renewable energies and thus counteracting climate change. 

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Do you have role models in the broadest sense?
Role models in the broadest sense are all those family entrepreneurs who do not base their corporate strategy on their own needs, but on the needs of the next generation and the generation after that. A good example is Schrauben-Würth from Schwäbisch Gmünd.

What do you consider to be the most important invention of mankind?
It's hard to say. I think the washing machine and the dishwasher were decisive milestones of our Western civilisation. Because through these inventions, the emancipation of women took a decisive step forward.

Which book has had the greatest impact on you and which is the last book you read?
As is so often the case in life, it is not the individual experience or book that is decisive, but the experiences or books and the people with whom we share and controversially discuss the books and experiences.
One of my most recent books is " Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah. In this book, Trevor Noah tells his own story against the background of the apartheid regime in South Africa. The comedy talent manages to portray the crimes of the regime with a lightness that is second to none. 

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If you had one wish, for example from a fairy godmother? What would it be?
To stay healthy, because without health everything else is nothing.
 

And where do we often meet you at the weekend?
In nature, mountain biking or hiking in the mountains.

EWIA founder and CEO Ralph Schneider.

Who are the people behind EWIA Green Investments? What drives them, what is important to them? Today, co-founder and managing director Ralph Schneider introduces himself in an interview and describes how and why EWIA was founded, what the African Dream is all about - and what books keep him busy. Shortly after the interview, he is already on a plane to Accra, Ghana.

Hello Ralph! How and why did you become an entrepreneur/founder?
I worked for many years in the management of various companies, including Phoenix Solar, Royal Dutch/Shell and various banks. I became an entrepreneur for several reasons. On the one hand, I felt very restricted in my creative freedom by many guidelines and constraints, even as a member of the top management. And even as a board member of a stock listed company, you are subject to an unbelievable number of constraints, and politics and analysts determine your life.

For me, however, it is very much about creative freedom and the opportunity to be able to implement things directly, actively and in a targeted manner. 
But what is almost more important to me is that I can live the values that I stand behind and that are important to me in "my" own company and that I can make a difference. For example, I don't think about an exit before one has even founded and tax-optimised structures via Malta and Mauritius before the first euro has even been earned. For me, it's more about building a sustainable, solid medium-sized company that is successful internationally in the long term.

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Is EWIA your first start-up?
In 2012, I had already founded an international project development company for solar power plants together with a venture capital company. I also implemented the management buyout of a subsidiary together with a London-based investment company. But there, too, I quickly came up against limits when it came to topics such as entrepreneurial scope and values. 
In 2018, the decision finally matured to set up something completely my own. In 2019, all the preparations were already in full swing. In February 2020, shortly before the Corona outbreak, we founded. I am very grateful to work with Wolf-Dietrich Fugger, Timo Schäfer, but also with our advisory board member Manfred Bächler in a founding team that, in addition to the necessary personalities, also follows a very similar impact-driven philosophy. You rarely find something like that.

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What problem do you want to solve first and foremost with your company?
When I see that no company or large household in Africa can manage without a diesel generator due to unstable and missing power supply, and this on the sunniest continent on earth, then I no longer understand this world. We at EWIA want to provide a CO2-free, uninterruptible power supply for small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa, and we want to do this more cost-effectively than with conventional, fossil-based solutions. Wherever a diesel generator is humming and polluting the air, a solar plant from EWIA could be located.

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You are focused on Africa and your passion for Africa is hard to miss. What is it about Africa that excites you so much?
I first came to West Africa in 1990. That was the initial spark. At that time, I started from Munich in a former truck of the Paris-Dakar Rally and crossed the Sahara. Then followed trips from Kenya to Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa. Business-wise, I have been involved in Africa since 2013. I could now say Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, Kilimanjaro in Kenya, elephants bathing in the Zambezi, long desert drives at night through Niger, the wildlife and the landscape in general. What fascinates me most, however, is the optimism of the people, the confidence in a better future and that one can move a lot. In general, the joy of life, which is also expressed in singing and dancing.
My second passion is renewable energies, so it was an obvious idea to combine the two. 

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What can Europe learn from Africa?
When I've been in Africa for four weeks, many of the supposed problems we have in Europe are quickly put into perspective. You get an eye for the essentials again. Then I know what it means to really be an entrepreneur. Almost every second, healthy, young person who has some schooling and a little start-up capital would like to be an entrepreneur themselves. It is natural to run two or three different businesses side by side. We always talk about the American Dream, but there is also an African Dream. But this also means that it is incredibly difficult to attract well-educated people for permanent employment. 
At the same time, the proportion of women, i.e. women entrepreneurs, is extremely high. In Ghana, we are talking about 40% and more. Family unions and family solidarity play a special role. Children are very important. Even in families with a high level of education and a good income. Our managing director in Ghana has four children and so does our managing director of infrastructure. The average age in Europe is about 42 years in Germany over 44 years. We are the old people's home of the world. But the most important driver of economic growth is demographics. Africa has an incredible demographic return. The average age in Africa is about 19.5 years. Education and training is given a high value. It is not taken for granted. There is no full-court mentality.
EWIA's local management still goes to school three times a week in the evenings and they are over 40 years old.

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If you didn't work at EWIA, where would you work?
There was indeed no lack of lucrative offers or alternatives. As a former investment banker, it was tempting to work in the management of an investment company again. However, during exploratory talks with thoroughly exciting companies, it quickly became clear that the word "impact investments" is merely a nice wrapping for many companies. And that brings us back to the topic of values and "making a difference". In the end, there was no serious alternative other than entrepreneurship.

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Do you have role models in the broadest sense?
Helmut Schmidt definitely comes to mind. A personality who still fascinates me. For me, he embodies a straightforward Hanseatic with an attitude, who also had the courage to make unpopular and unpleasant decisions. He was also economically very competent, a maker who thought things through and let himself be guided as little as possible by pure emotions. But I was also very interested in people like Alfred Herrhausen and, in the beginning, John F. Kennedy.

What do you consider to be the most important invention of mankind?
I think it's the discovery and mastery of fire and the invention of the wheel. But I also consider writing and printing to be very essential. But an invention is never good or bad, it's what you do with it that counts.

Which book has shaped you the most and which is the last book you read?
Books have shaped my life since childhood and I have always been magically drawn to libraries. The topics and contents have changed a lot over the years. But off the top of my head I would think of "All Men are Mortal" by Simone de Beauvoir. Not the most exciting book, but it demonstrates very well that many things are relative and finite. Kingdoms come and go. 
The last book I read was by Joe Chialo, a Tanzanian MP, "The Struggle Continues", and before that "Africa First" by Martin Schöller. And I have a book by Henning Mankell, "The Eye of the Leopard", in front of me right now. 

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If you had one wish, for example from a fairy godmother? What would that be?
I am a selfish person. To grow old together with my wife and children in good health and without financial worries, and to leave my children and grandchildren a better world than the one we found. Those were two wishes, but I like to negotiate and the second wish is not quite so selfish.

And where do we often meet you at the weekend?
As a native of the Saarland, I am naturally fond of wine, culinary delights and French savoir-vivre. So I love to spend time in a good restaurant or simply in a sidewalk café when the sun is shining. Preferably with friends or family. And on Sunday mornings you can find me in the forest, because I don't want to neglect my running training and then have to work off the calories again. 
Ralph, thank you for the interview!

In the course of our projects in the north of Ghana we have gained new valuable employees.

Firstly Jonathan Karaah has joined the team as permanent Sales Manager in Tamale together with Sales Director Nana Kwadwo Adu-Boateng.
 

And secondly, we have gained Delight Yayra Mensah for EWIA Infrastructure Ltd., an employee who already has relevant industry experience in accounting and administration.
We are particularly pleased to be able to to contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 8: "Decent Work and Economic Growth" by hiring new employees.
 

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are the 17 global goals for sustainable development of the 2030 Agenda agreed upon by the United Nations ¬– and they are an important guideline for EWIA's work.
 

Further new appointments have already been planned for 2023.

EWIA has now equipped the first six mobile phone masts with PV systems in Tamale in the sparsely populated north of Ghana. The work was carried out by EWIA Infrastructure, our joint venture with Tong New Energy.

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The mobile phone network in Africa as part of the infrastructure is even more important than in Europe. This is also because there is only a weakly developed landline network. The supply of electricity to the transmission masts is a particularly critical point in this respect. Many masts, especially in remote locations, have their own power supply – so far usually in the form of diesel generators. This has many disadvantages: The generators are not exactly environmentally friendly, they also require a lot of maintenance, have to be refueled once a week and are therefore quite expensive to maintain.

The sun as a source of electricity for transmission towers is a better solution in every respect.

Recently, Graphic Business, the most popular newspaper in Ghana, published an article about the new solar system at Osko Lodge guest house, which is operated and managed by EWIA.

Quoting Dr. Ebenezer Osei-Kofi, the director of Osko, the article said, "In our country, the sun shines all year round, and it's about time we harnessed it and put it to profitable use."
 

Dr. Osei-Kofi, a pioneer in this regard, added to this insight with the following correct statement: "Even countries that don't have sun all year round know how to make good use of the little they have."
He therefore called on the government to support private companies that invest in solar energy by reducing taxes on, equipment imported for installation.
 

Last but not least, he pointed out that the more people use  solar energy, the significantly lower the country's carbon footprint will be.

EWIA has agreed to cooperate with the Munich-based company Archimedes-Consult GmbH and to plant a certain number of trees in Ghana for investors.

Each investor receives a corresponding certificate with the coordinates of his tree and thus actively fights climate change. It is virtually a green dividend, a real impact investment!

It was important to EWIA that this investment, in addition to CO2 sequestration, also provides employment opportunities.
In our case, in addition to the obvious benefits of reforestation, the 250 trees (shea butter and cashew trees) will provide local women with livelihood opportunities. Therefore, the cooperation includes Rural AgriHub Ltd and Lydia Madintin Konlan.

Rural AgriHub, serves 1 500 farmers and trains local women in the cultivation of these trees. The trees are crops that will provide significant additional income to the women's initiative within 3 years.

Further proof that EWIA is actively supporting and keeping track of multiple SDG Goals simultaneously.

EWIA is increasingly noticed by the local press and regional business representatives.

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On September 9 2022 the official commissioning of the photovoltaic plant for ARCCU Credit Union in Takoradi could be celebrated. On the occasion of the board meeting and the elementary important event for ARCCU, the press was also present.
In particular, the Business and Financial Times reported extensively on the event.

EWIA is increasingly noticed by the local press and regional business representatives.

EWIA is pleased to announce the expansion of its staff. After already hiring 6 new employees during the year, another 5 employees could be signed on. In total, 28 contracts are signed with new employees.

Last year, EWIA Infrastructure Ltd, Ghana, was established as a joint venture between EWIA and Tong New Energy to start the construction of towers in the telecommunications sector.
 

Gradually, however, the team will also be further trained and educated in electrical engineering and power engineering, so that synergies can also be created for EWIA's photovoltaic branch.
 

In particular, telecommunication towers will be equipped with PV systems.

With Bernard Acheampong we welcome a new Head of Technics. Ben was previously the technical head of Tong New Energy Ghana Limited, with whom EWIA has entered into a new joint venture. Ben is one of the experts in Ghana's telecommunications sector when it comes to the erection of telecom towers and Huaei Alpha projects.
 

Ben has been responsible for the erection of cell towers at over 200 sites across Ghana and is a great asset to the EWIA Infrastructure team.

We had the pleasure of handing over new 10k solar systems and also a battery system to the Glorious Hand Foundation in Koforidua to meet future needs. Glorious Hand runs an orphanage in the capital of the Eastern Region in the very south of Ghana, where about 22 children are cared for.

Together with Jubaili Bros Solar, one of our trusted suppliers of solar and renewable energy solutions, and Huawei, we were able to present a solar solution that will enable the charity to meet its energy needs while reducing the challenge of electricity bills. A 5KWh battery system was chosen as a backup to provide a 24-hour power supply. A vote of thanks for attending the opening ceremony goes to Nana Obrempong Okyeame Bonsu of Jumapo in New Juaben Municipality, Asante Yeboah (Head of Department of Social Welfare), Bruce Liu (Manager of Digital Power at Huawei), Sampson Amanyo-Zickson (Head of Solar for West Africa at Jubaili Bros).

Ghanaian Beatrice Domevi, who lives in Germany, founded the home in 2014 in Breman Asikuma. The Glorious Hand Foundation supports HIV patients and children, malaria cases and incidents that prevent children from attending school.

EWIA Green Investments GmbH successfully closes its first digital funding campaign. 

With a funding result of € 840,000, EWIA presents the third best result of a start-up company on the financing platform of "Fundernation". In addition to several business angels, "CM Equity AG" and "Dynamic Holding", among others, also participated in EWIA as shareholders. 
 

The funds will be used to pre-finance further C&I projects, hire new employees and build up the joint venture for the realization of infrastructure projects and mobile phone masts.

#9 (EWIA1) EWIA Green Investments: Solarenergie in Afrika - "Wo Dieselgeneratoren Strom erzeugen, könnte ein Solarpanel stehen"

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Recently, EWIA Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer Ralph Schneider was a guest on www.boersenradio.at 's Austrian Sustainability Podcast. He explained to host Sebastian Leben,

• that the company aims to be present in West and East Africa as well as in the southern continent within ten years

• what the "lease-to-own" principle is all about, and

• a trained investment banker, relies on crowdfunding.- why Schneider

Have fun listening!

CM-Equity has become a shareholder in EWIA Green Investments.

"With our investment in EWIA Green Investments, we also want to make a significant contribution to CO2 reduction and the improvement of living conditions in Africa. With EWIA Green Investments we have found an important strategic partner. We also see interesting synergy opportunities here to expand our activities on the African continent," says Michael Kott, Founder and CEO of CM-Equity AG.

CM-Equity is a 19 year old financial institution from Munich, regulated according to §32 KWG. CM-Equity was an early pioneer in the field of digital asset management. With a fully licensed, connected capital market infrastructure platform for digital assets for companies, FinTechs and investors, CM-Equity has advanced to become one of the best-known players in the digital asset market in Germany and Europe.

Shortly before Easter, EWIA Green Investments had started the construction of the first solar project in Ghana. The realisation and implementation went according to plan. The local EPC company AB Solar was already able to report "Mechanical Completion". "With the Regal Hotel in Tamale, we can now present the first showcase project in northern Ghana. In the meantime, we have received various other enquiries from the north of Ghana," says Ralph Schneider CIO of EWIA Green Investments GmbH. The acceptance and test operation as well as the installation of the monitoring technology with engineers specially commissioned by EWIA is now scheduled to take place in mid-May. EWIA's management will be on site in Ghana for the next few weeks. Among other things, a customer visit to Burkina Faso is also planned. There, a larger off-grid plant including a large battery storage is planned with one of the leading construction groups.

EWIA Green Investments expands business activities through cooperation in the agricultural sector. Just in time for World Earth Day, EWIA enters into a cooperation with ewind from Berlin. This strategic partnership in the agricultural sector once again underlines our impact investment approach.

EWIAinvestments develops, finances, implements and operates solar plants for commercial and industrial enterprises in Africa.

Through a combination of rain-fed agriculture and economically viable solar plants, ewind brings new impulses to energy and food supply, especially in Africa, where energy supply is often still inadequate, and droughts repeatedly threaten harvests. Agro-photovoltaics enables highly efficient land use through the dual use of the field. This means cheap solar energy and multiplication of agricultural yields and preservation of soils and biodiversity.

In this way, both companies contribute their know-how in the fields of agriculture in low-rainfall areas and financing sustainable energy production. This results in a double win-win situation. Cheap solar power for companies and at the same time agricultural yields are multiplied through more efficient water management measures and soil erosion is reduced.

EWIA Green Investments GmbH (EWIA) and Tong New Energy Ltd. (Tong) have signed a joint venture agreement after about six months of preparation. Both partners will implement infrastructure projects such as telecommunication stations in Ghana in a new legal entity. While Tong is responsible for the technical and constructional implementation, EWIA will provide the administrative and commercial resources as well as the financing of the projects. The market in Ghana currently envisages the construction of more than 6,000 telecommunication towers. Each of these telecommunication facilities will also be equipped with its own solar system. "We are happy to have found a profound, strategic partner in EWIA Green Investments, who also has excellent market knowledge and experience in Ghana", said Frank Mensah - Founding Partner Tong New Energy. For EWIA, the joint venture is also another important milestone for the achievement of key SDG goals. In particular, the combination of telecommunications, renewable energy and the safeguarding of jobs in Ghana are to be emphasised here.

Less than 6 weeks after the successful foundation of our company "EWIA Green Investments West Africa", EWIA was able to sign the first contract for the realisation and financing of a solar project in Tamale, the northern provincial capital of Ghana. "We are very pleased that our careful and professional preparation for entering the Ghana market has paid off so quickly." (Says Nana Boateng, Sales Director, EWIA West Africa). The implementation of the project in Q1 2021 is intended to be a beacon for other companies in northern Ghana. EWIA is currently planning the implementation of various other impact projects in West Africa.

The Austrian Federal Chancellery has announced the "Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa" together with other renowned organizations, a prize for innovative start-ups in Africa. 
 

Among other things, the SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) 3 "Good health and well-being" was to be addressed.
The prize was offered with a total of 3 x €250,000. The so-called

matchmaking event took place in March 2022, where the most promising candidates were able to present themselves.
 

We are particularly pleased that our Chief Investment Officer and Africa expert Ralph Schneider was appointed to the so-called supporter team of the "Kofi Anan Award" and thus the opinion and assessment of EWIA Green Investments was also in demand.

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The Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa seeks to raise awareness for the potential African entrepreneurs hold to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and honour the late Kofi Annan’s legacy and commitment to a more just and equitable world.

In spite of all COVID adversities we have managed to successfully establish our subsidiary EWIA Green Investments West Africa. Within a few days we received our operating licence and also moved into our new office in Accra. We are looking forward to move many things with a "Magic Power Team" on site and to implement our first projects in a timely manner. Not only "Solarinvestments for Africa" but also "Investments for a better World".

EWIA Green Investments GmbH, based in Munich and West Africa, is finally getting started.

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After almost 12 months of intensive preparatory work, the time has now come. EWIA Green Investments GmbH, based in Munich and West Africa, is finally getting started.

As a new impact investment company, we have made it our goal to provide sustainable support to medium-sized companies in Africa.

EWIA develops and finances high-quality, renewable energy projects and enables companies to produce clean, reliable and long-term, cheap electricity.

This strengthens the competitiveness of the companies, secures jobs in Africa and helps the climate.

EWIA works together with international technology partners and investors.