MPower: The Venture Leader Mobile supercharging the energy transition in emerging markets

06.02.2023 07:00, Morgane Ghilardi

The climate and fintech startup MPower is revolutionizing energy access in developing countries by providing small and medium-scale solar energy infrastructure using a B2B model that combines hardware, software, and financing solutions. The startup's co-founder and COO, Michael Eschmann, is one of the Venture Leaders Mobile 2023, who will be heading to the Mobile World Congress at the end of February.

Name: Michael Eschmann 
Location: Zurich 
Nationality: Swiss 
Graduated from: Johns Hopkins SAIS in 2014 
Job title: COO 
Number of employees: 25 
Money raised: CHF 6 million
 

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What do you expect from the Venture Leaders roadshow, and how do you think it help you achieve your vision? 
It will allow us to learn about connectivity solutions and make new connections. 

What are you most excited about at work right now? 
We are about to close two financing facilities, which would eliminate financing bottlenecks. This is exciting as it will show whether the premise of a lack of inventory financing is valid.

How did you go about building your team?
Develop clear job profiles and hire personally. 

What market are you addressing and what is the potential of your startup in that market?
We are solving inventory finance and quality issues in a young sector. MPower targets to capture 18 million by 2026 in a multi-billion market.  

What are your company’s and team’s key achievements to date?
We have shown traction with 1 million in sales in 2021 and built a great team. Also, we have successfully funded growth to achieve enough of a track record to secure debt funding. 

What is the most challenging aspect of being a founder?
Work is always on and while most tasks can be delegated and/or delayed sometimes this is not possible. 

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a founder?
The luxury of picking who becomes part of the team. 
 
What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder?
Speed is key and it is better to take a wrong decision than not to take one at all.

What is one thing people do not know about you?
I won a car in a TV quiz show at the age of 14. 

What did you want to do with your life at age 12?
First an inventor, then a sculptor.



The Venture Leaders program supports startups in their global growth by taking promising entrepreneurs on investor roadshows in sector-relevant tech hubs. Venture Leaders Mobile is organized by Venturelab with the support of Huawei, Swisscom, and VISCHER.