Acumen Secures $250 Million for Hardest-to-Reach Clean Energy Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa

Acumen has shared an update.

The firm announced that its Hardest-to-Reach Initiative (H2R) has secured $250 million in blended capital to expand clean energy access across 17 sub-Saharan African countries. The milestone includes the final close of its debt fund vehicle, H2R Amplify, at $180 million, supported by a new commitment of nearly $8 million from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. With both H2R Amplify and its partner Patient Capital facility, H2R Catalyze, now fully operational, Acumen plans to scale investments in clean energy enterprises serving underserved markets and to generate market insights tailored to these energy ecosystems.

For investors, this capital raise reinforces Acumen’s role as a significant impact investor in off-grid and distributed clean energy in emerging markets. The full capitalization and operational status of both fund vehicles should increase the firm’s assets under management, fee-generating potential, and deal flow in frontier energy markets. The blended-capital structure, backed by a reputable public-sector partner, may help de-risk investments and attract additional co-investors, potentially expanding Acumen’s influence in the clean energy financing value chain. At the industry level, the initiative supports ongoing electrification and climate goals in sub-Saharan Africa, positioning Acumen as a key intermediary between development finance, philanthropic capital, and private investors seeking impact-aligned exposure to the clean energy sector.