Trine

Trine operates as a financial technology company that bridges the gap between private capital in developed nations and solar energy companies in emerging markets. Founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2015 by Sam Manaberi, Andreas Lehner, Christoffer Falsen, and Christian Genne, the company provides a crowdfunding platform for financing off-grid solar projects. The founding was inspired by Manaberi's realization of the vast number of people without stable power and the simultaneous potential within the solar sector. The founders brought diverse and relevant experience to the venture; Manaberi had previously served as a Director at Bosch Solar Energy North America, Lehner had a background in business development for renewable energy utilities, and Falsen specialized in Green Finance.

The company's core business involves offering a crowd-investing platform where individuals and institutions can invest in loans to solar companies. This model provides debt capital for construction and project finance, enabling solar partners to scale their operations and supply clean energy to communities. Clients are primarily solar energy companies in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia that require capital to grow. End-customers of these solar companies range from individual families and schools to large businesses. The platform allows for investments as low as €25, democratizing the process of impact investing.

Trine's revenue model is twofold. The company charges borrowers a one-time arranger fee of 2-4% upon the successful funding of a loan, which covers due diligence and funding costs. Additionally, it collects a management fee, which is a percentage of the total loan (historically around 3-4%), paid by the borrower throughout the repayment period. This aligns Trine's success with that of its investors, as the majority of its revenue is tied to the successful repayment of the loans. The platform provides investors with a dashboard to monitor their investments and the resulting social and environmental impact, such as CO2 emissions avoided.

Keywords: impact investing, solar energy financing, crowdfunding, fintech, emerging markets, renewable energy, debt financing, sustainable finance, clean energy, off-grid solar, project finance, social impact, environmental impact, crowd-investing, green finance, Sub-Saharan Africa, financial technology, alternative finance, P2P lending, energy access