When Greg Whyler, an American tech entrepreneur, purchased Rwandatel, Rwanda’s government owned telecom monopoly, he found that his new company paid 12 employees “whose sole job was to play on the company soccer team.”  Now that’s pretty cool!  Of course Greg Whyler didn’t think so.  By spending upwards of $35 million on telecommunications in Rwanda, Whyler has made a serious investment in a nation still suffering from the trauma of its infamously brutal civil war.  While many people in Rwanda believe that coffee and export oriented development are the ticket to economic prosperity, Whyler has placed his faith in the internet, arguing that fiber optics will save Rwanda from its woes and power economic growth in the region.

Studies show that per-capita energy consumption is low in many emerging economies, where vast sections of the population may not have access to modern energy infrastructure. The World Bank reports that this is particularly the case in rural areas where access is often extremely costly for the government to provide. Many countries are looking for alternatives, including geo-thermal and solar powered generators. One company in Brazil, Enersud Indústria e Soluções Energéticas Ltda, is finding innovative ways to fill this gap through a high-growth business model.