5% of profits from this solar company have grown the biggest solar lighting retailer in Africa, reaching 10m people with 1.7m lights.

Solarcentury, a VC-backed international downstream solar company, first donated profits to charity SolarAid in 2007. SolarAid then set up a wholly-owned social enterprise to sell solar lights, SunnyMoney, in 2012. Jeremy Leggett, founder of Solarcentury and SolarAid, believes this is a model in need of mass replication. He says: “Just think, if many companies gave 5% to fight climate-change and alleviate poverty, the world would have a whole new – massive – pool of capital for social good.” More to come on this in June.