While headlines often focus on South Africa’s grid failures and the dominance of Eskom, an emerging layer of innovation is reshaping the country’s energy story—one algorithm at a time.
Open Access Energy (OAE), a Cape Town-based startup, is building the behind-the-scenes software infrastructure that could become essential to how power flows in the future. The company recently closed a $1.8 million seed round, drawing investment from climate-focused backers E3 Capital, Equator VC, and Factor[e] Ventures. Innovation Village reported that Open Access Energy raised $750,000, the first tranche of its $1.5 million seed round, in August 2024. More than a funding milestone, the raise signals growing investor confidence in the role of digital tools in modernising power systems in Africa.
At its core, OAE’s mission is about turning policy ambition into operational reality. As South Africa loosens regulatory barriers and encourages private generation, energy producers face a practical challenge: how to move power from decentralized sources to end users—and how to do it transparently.
OAE’s platforms, Amptera and EnergyPro, are designed to solve just that. They manage the complex logistics of electricity “wheeling”—the process of transmitting power from private producers across public grids or municipal networks to paying consumers. With features like automated metering, usage forecasting, and transaction tracking, the company enables smoother participation in a market that has historically been centralized and opaque.
For CEO Gerjo Hoffman, this isn’t just about digitising a sector—it’s about removing friction that has long held back progress. “Energy liberalisation only works when there’s visibility, accountability, and automation,” Hoffman says. “We’re building the systems that allow private generators and local municipalities to interact on equal, efficient terms.”
This shift couldn’t be more timely. South Africa’s energy crisis, punctuated by frequent blackouts and infrastructure bottlenecks, has forced the government to rethink the fundamentals of its power strategy. Reforms now allow companies and communities to produce and trade electricity outside the traditional utility framework. But for this decentralised model to succeed, a new layer of digital coordination is essential.
That’s where OAE comes in—not as a flashy hardware player, but as the quiet orchestrator of transactions, data flows, and grid interactions.
From an investment perspective, the company checks multiple boxes: climate relevance, scalable technology, and alignment with public policy. For E3 Capital and Equator VC, the appeal lies in OAE’s potential to accelerate renewable energy adoption by bridging the operational gap between producers and consumers. “Software is the missing link in Africa’s energy transition,” says an investor familiar with the deal. “OAE isn’t just facilitating trade—it’s helping build trust into the system.”
Looking ahead, OAE plans to expand its reach across South Africa and explore adjacent markets. With local governments, private solar farms, and corporate users all seeking more control over their energy flows, the need for smart infrastructure is no longer a luxury—it’s a requirement.
As the grid evolves, those who can interpret its data and streamline its connections will be the ones who shape its future. Open Access Energy is quietly placing itself in that role—one transaction at a time.
