All On has launched the All On Innovation Ecosystem Development Programme (AO-IEDP), a 12-month incubation and prototype development programme designed to support clean energy startups and entrepreneurs within the All On Hub portfolio as they move from early-stage ideas to tested, functional prototypes and minimum viable products (MVPs).
Funded by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), a global clean energy and development nonprofit, the programme addresses a critical gap in Nigeria’s clean energy ecosystem: the technical and infrastructural support required by promising ventures at the ideation and prototype development stage.
While access to capital remains essential for growing energy businesses, many early-stage ventures require more than funding to transform ideas into viable solutions. Technical expertise, hands-on development, access to appropriate equipment and facilities, mentorship and venture-building support are critical to enabling entrepreneurs to test their ideas, learn from failures and develop solutions ready for the next stage of growth.
Under the AO-IEDP, 10 participating ventures will receive hands-on technical guidance, venture creation training, mentorship and access to fabrication facilities to support the development and testing of their solutions.
The programme is designed to help ventures overcome technical, financial and infrastructural barriers while progressing towards functional prototypes or MVPs.
Caroline Eboumbou, CEO of All On, said innovation requires more than a good idea, noting that entrepreneurs need the right environment, technical support and opportunity to build, test and learn iteratively.
“With the All On Innovation Ecosystem Development Programme, we are addressing an important gap in the journey of early-stage clean energy ventures by giving entrepreneurs the practical support they need to move their ideas closer to real-world solutions.
“We are proud to work with Global Energy Alliance to create this opportunity for innovators within the All On Hub ecosystem and to strengthen the pipeline of businesses that can contribute significantly to Nigeria’s clean energy future,” she said.
Muhammad Wakil, Country Director, Nigeria, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, said the programme would provide ventures with the facilities and mentorship needed to develop and test their solutions before seeking investment.
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“Ideas only become businesses when entrepreneurs have somewhere to build and test them. The All On Innovation Ecosystem Development Programme gives ventures the facilities and mentorship to work through their solutions before they go looking for capital.
“We expect the ventures coming out of this programme to raise funding faster, because investors will be backing prototypes that have already been through real testing, not just concepts on paper. That is the kind of pipeline Nigeria’s clean energy sector needs going forward,” he said.
The programme is being implemented by Innov8 Technology Hub, which will support the day-to-day delivery of activities, including participant engagement, training and capacity-building sessions, mentorship coordination, ecosystem engagement and monitoring of programme outcomes.
AO-IEDP builds on All On’s broader ecosystem development approach, which recognises that strengthening Nigeria’s energy access market requires support across different stages of venture development.
Through its Hub, All On supports the development of a pipeline of investable, scalable and sustainable off-grid energy businesses.
The programme will also document and showcase the journeys of participating entrepreneurs as they progress from concepts to prototypes, providing greater visibility for local clean energy innovation and the entrepreneurs developing solutions to Nigeria’s energy challenges.
As the 10 participating ventures, including Renerlite, Vectar and Smokeless Briqs, progress through the 12-month programme, AO-IEDP will focus not only on what they build, but also on the capabilities, knowledge and experience they develop along the way.
The initiative is expected to strengthen the foundations for the ventures’ future growth and impact while contributing to the development of Nigeria’s clean energy ecosystem.
