Moon Innovations Is Building Africa’s Smart Infrastructure From the Ground Up
- Mandilakhe Somdle
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
Born from lived experiences, Moon Innovations is tackling Africa’s infrastructure deficit by delivering electricity, internet, and AI-powered security, all from a single solar-powered box.
In this must-read blog, Michael Osumune shares:
Why solving Africa’s infrastructure gap requires integrated, context-aware innovation
How building during the pandemic created a more user-centered, resilient product
Why smart energy, AI, and connectivity are the cornerstones of Africa’s sustainable future
Infrastructure isn’t just about cables, concrete, or signal towers, it’s about dignity. And for Michael Osumune, founder and CEO of Moon Innovations Limited, that dignity was often missing in the daily life of his community.
“I wasn’t inspired by theory. I was living through the problem. My team and I were experiencing blackouts, poor connectivity, and security risks firsthand. That’s where Moon began, not in a boardroom, but in our own homes,” Michael says.
This deeply personal insight birthed the Solar Utility Box, a compact, all-in-one system delivering clean power, high-speed internet, and AI-powered surveillance to underserved communities across Africa.
From farmers to health centers, remote workers to market vendors, Moon Innovations is redefining what infrastructure looks like in Africa: localized, intelligent, and resilient.
Engineering dignity with every unit
With over 600 million Africans lacking access to reliable electricity and many more struggling with internet and security, Moon’s integrated approach hits at the heart of the continent’s development bottleneck.
Michael explains:
“Solving just one piece of the puzzle wasn’t enough. Our people don’t just need energy or just need the internet, they need all of it, working together, reliably.”
The Solar Utility Box is designed for urban, peri-urban, and rural communities, bundling three essential services in one product that’s affordable, solar-powered, and easy to deploy. It’s a leapfrogging solution, turning “missing infrastructure” into smart infrastructure, no grid required.
Built during adversity, designed for resilience
While Moon officially launched post-pandemic, much of its research, user testing, and design happened in lockdown conditions, a season that Michael says made their product stronger.
“We couldn’t move around much, but we could listen. We interviewed over 2,000 people across Nigeria, remote workers, shop owners, nurses, parents, and the same themes kept coming up: power outages, no Wi-Fi, fear of robberies.”
These stories shaped Moon’s mission: restore safety, dignity, and access, in one solar-powered system.
“This wasn’t just a tech project, it was a mission to give people peace of mind.” – Michael Osumune, Founder of Moon Innovations
From savings to scale: powering Africa’s growth
Moon began with ₦10 million in personal savings, software revenue, and early prototype competitions. Despite limited hardware talent and tricky supply chains, Michael bootstrapped progress through sheer persistence.
Now, with $40,000 in non-dilutive funding and growing demand across Nigeria, Moon Innovations is gearing up for continental expansion.
“We’re raising $500,000 in 2025 to scale our production, expand our team, and deepen deployment in West and East Africa, with Ethiopia as a manufacturing hub.”
Moon also plans to evolve its AI capabilities, extending into healthcare (e.g., patient monitoring), agriculture (e.g., cold chain), and retail (e.g., smart kiosks). Their box isn’t just a utility,it’s a smart infrastructure node.
Impact beyond electricity
The numbers matter, clean energy hours delivered, security threats deterred, stable connections maintained. But for Michael, one moment stands out:
“A public health center told us the Solar Utility Box was the best thing anyone had done for them. That stuck with me.”
These moments, multiplied across a continent, are what Moon measures. It’s not just about usage, it’s about transformation.
The AfricArena effect
Moon’s journey reached a new inflection point at AfricArena. Pitching on an international stage brought visibility, validation, and connections.
“AfricArena was a turning point. It showed the world that African deeptech is not only viable, it’s vital.”
Now, with a bold 5-year roadmap, Moon Innovations aims to deploy 1 million Utility Boxes across Africa and beyond, creating jobs, decentralizing access, and embedding intelligence into infrastructure itself.
Advice to fellow African builders?
Michael doesn’t hold back:
“Solve real problems, start small, test fast, and build with your users, not just for them. That’s how you build for Africa.”
He also recalls early wisdom from his first boss:
“If you want to build a successful business, create a product that can scale across regions and be useful to anyone, anywhere.”
That mindset continues to shape Moon’s global vision.
Follow their journey at https://www.mooninnovations.io/ Watch the Moon Innovation Pitch on Youtube
Catch the next wave of founders at africarena.com
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