CrossBoundary Energy (CBE), a leading provider of distributed renewable energy solutions for businesses, has been named to Fortune’s 2025 Change the World list, which recognizes companies leveraging core business strategies to drive positive social and environmental impact.
"For our clients, energy is not just a cost line — it’s mission-critical to competitiveness and growth. By removing the upfront capital barrier, we enable them to shift from expensive, carbon intensive, unreliable generation to clean power that lowers costs and improves resilience from day one. This recognition from Fortune underscores that our model isn’t theoretical; it’s already working for Africa’s largest industries and can scale much further,” said Pieter Joubert, co-founder and president of CrossBoundary Energy.
Across Africa, businesses face some of the highest energy costs in the world, with unreliable grid supply forcing many to rely on diesel generation that is both polluting and expensive. The mining sector alone contributes up to 10% of global energy-related GHG emissions, while Africa still has the slowest electrification rate of any region. Bridging this gap with clean, affordable, and reliable power is essential not only for competitiveness but also for achieving decarbonization targets.
“The world is searching for proven models to decarbonize heavy industry and power growth sustainably. What CrossBoundary Energy has shown is that these solutions are not only possible — they are already working at scale. It’s powerful to see an African company recognized by Fortune for providing a blueprint that applies to underserved markets everywhere,” said Matt Tilleard, co-founder and managing partner of CrossBoundary Group.
Pioneering industry firsts across the continent
CBE's portfolio highlights the potential of distributed renewable energy across diverse sectors and geographies:
Democratic Republic of Congo: CBE's groundbreaking agreement with Kamoa Copper SA will deliver Africa's first renewable baseload power system and one of the continent's largest commercial solar-plus-battery projects. The system will drastically reduce both operational costs and emissions for the Kamoa-Kakula mining complex, which currently depends on diesel generators for significant portions of its electricity needs.
Sierra Leone: CBE completed a pilot program deploying solar and battery systems to telecommunications towers in Freetown, directly enabling the nation's first 5G network rollout — a critical milestone for digital connectivity across West Africa.
Madagascar: CBE is commissioning the country's first wind farm to supply renewable power to Rio Tinto's QMM operations, complementing an existing 14 MWp solar plant and demonstrating the scalability of hybrid renewable solutions in remote locations.
CBE is backed by leading global investors including ARCH Emerging Markets Partners; Norfund, the Norwegian Investment Fund for developing countries; KLP, Norway’s largest pension company; Impact Fund Denmark (IFDK); Frontier Energy Investment (FEI); and Standard Bank. Most recently, a $495M guarantee framework from the World Bank’s MIGA further de-risked growth into new markets.
About CrossBoundary Energy
CrossBoundary Energy develops, owns, and operates distributed renewable energy solutions for businesses, offering cheaper and cleaner energy through power purchase and lease agreements. With a US$670 million portfolio of awarded, signed, in-construction, and operating energy assets, the company boasts over 520 MWp of solar PV, wind generation, and thermal projects, and more than 712 MWh of battery energy storage systems. Its clients include industry leaders like Rio Tinto, Ivanhoe, Unilever, Diageo, Heineken, and the Devki Group. The diverse portfolio features large-scale renewable-led hybrid power plants for mines, rooftop and ground-mount solar PV plants for industrial clients, and distributed solar PV and battery power solutions for telecommunications sites. As a member of the CrossBoundary Group, founded in 2011, CrossBoundary Energy is dedicated to unlocking the power of capital for sustainable growth and strong returns in underserved markets. Learn more at crossboundaryenergy.com.
Media Contact
Kymberly Bays
Director of Global Communications, CrossBoundary Group
kymberly.bays@crossboundary.com
