AMMP Technologies supporting reliability of off-grid electricity through the pandemic
Like many others in the energy sector, Stine Carlé believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of access to reliable electricity.
Carlé, the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of AMMP Technologies, is pleased to see that greater attention is now being paid to the critical role of electricity for powering healthcare services, communications networks and many other services that protect people’s well-being.
But ensuring off-grid communities have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy was already a focus for Carlé long before the current pandemic hit. In fact, it was the basis for her to co-found AMMP, which offers a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution for decentralized renewable energy systems in emerging markets.
“AMMP is dedicated to helping off-grid companies improve the efficiency and impact of their operations with the ultimate aim of supporting SDG7 [Sustainable Development Goal 7],” she says. “We are part of the off-grid energy system value chain, helping make sure that power delivered to rural areas is just as reliable as in urban centres.”
AMMP has developed a digital platform that enables remote operations for nearly 1,000 energy systems (including rural mini-grids, megawatt-scale PV-diesel hybrid plants and telecom towers) across 17 countries.
By providing energy service companies an intuitive real-time view of performance across their portfolios of distributed assets, AMMP enables them to quickly identify and respond to potential issues. This helps them maintain their assets and preserve normal service to customers, while also cutting down on operational expenses, such as site visits to areas which are often very hard to reach.
The platform also helps alleviate potential power outages to customers since companies can catch and respond to system issues before they lead to supply cuts. Therefore, Carlé says that AMMP is contributing to the overall reputation and development of the off-grid sector.
A thriving off-grid sector is pivotal to the achievement of SDG7 with millions of people without electricity access living in communities far-removed from national grids. To support this sector, Carlé sees the need for specialized services like AMMP’s so that companies do not have to develop them in-house, which she argues can serve as a distraction from their core business of delivering connections.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the importance of remote monitoring services since many off-grid companies now have to cope with the challenge of upkeeping their systems despite restrictions on mobility and reduced access to project sites.
Furthermore, energy providers are under increasing pressure to establish and safeguard their power supplies to health facilities. Carlé explains that one of their clients with operations in Nigeria recently approached them to integrate monitoring into their systems that were powering hospitals and clinics.
In this context, the finance community appears to see a growing demand for services like the one AMMP offers. As proof, last month AMMP successfully raised €1.15M in venture funding from Point Nine Capital, The Raba Partnership and Musha Ventures.
The money will be a boost to the start-up, which was founded in 2018 by Stine Carlé, Svet Bajlekov and Hendrik Broering, who developed their concept while working together at Rafiki Power, a company under E.ON SE.
Carlé says that the money will be primarily directed towards growing their international team, which currently consists of 14 people originating from 10 countries. In particular, AMMP will look to grow its in-country presence so that it can better serve clients in key local markets. Adding expertise to the team will also help it expand its platform to offer a greater range of functions.
