ER Group champions SolarX Accelerator to fast-track clean energy innovation across the region
Mauritius launched the first SolarX Accelerator Programme in April 2025, marking a milestone in fast-tracking solar innovation across Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. An initiative of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in partnership with Business Mauritius, the programme is designed to support solar-focused startups and incubators, helping them grow from early-stage ideas into investment-ready businesses. It continues this September at MCB’s headquarters in St Jean, where participants will focus on structuring, governance and access to finance, as they take their next steps toward growth.
ER Group supported the programme through in-kind contributions including venues, logistics, and accommodation, helping create the right conditions for these startups to succeed. This support reflects ER Group’s core conviction that the energy transition is both a necessity and an opportunity.
A multi-step journey
The April 2025 launch brought together 35 startups for two days of intensive learning and exchange. Participants attended expert-led workshops at The Pod, Vivéa Business Park, and explored practical applications through site visits at Bagatelle Mall’s rooftop photovoltaic installation and other major solar projects. The session closed with a networking event at Voilà Bagatelle, providing a platform for collaboration and new partnerships.
The September stage builds on this foundation with a strong focus on structuring, governance, and access to financing, equipping startups with the capabilities to grow into robust market players.
ER Group: Enablers of the ecosystem
Our commitment to the energy transition goes well beyond a single event. It is anchored in a broader vision that drives the work of our businesses every day, and in a long-standing conviction: innovation and collaboration are essential to deliver a just energy transition.
According to Sophie Desvaux de Marigny, Chief Sustainability Executive at ER Group:
“With three of our businesses driving renewable energy projects, ER Group is deeply engaged in Mauritius’ energy transition. We know that only through collaboration can we scale solutions that both secure our region’s energy future and unlock new growth opportunities.”
One example of this conviction in action is Ecoasis, an ER subsidiary. For two decades, Ecoasis has driven local energy innovation, from pioneering thermal energy using sugar industry by-products to advancing solar and renewable technologies across sectors such as textiles, hospitality, and real estate. Today, with operations extending into Africa, it stands as proof of Mauritius’ clean-tech leadership and ER Group’s long-term commitment to renewable energy.
A broad coalition for change
The SolarX Accelerator benefits from the commitment of several leading Mauritian groups, Currimjee, Eclosia and MCB, whose support underscores the importance of private-sector collaboration for national resilience and sustainable growth. This coalition reflects a shared conviction that accelerating clean innovation is key to both reducing emissions and creating new opportunities for prosperity in Mauritius and beyond.
Igniting a sustainable tomorrow
The SolarX Accelerator Programme is more than a training event; it is a catalyst for transformation. By supporting it, ER Group helps:
- Foster regional innovation by empowering startups to develop scalable, sustainable solutions.
- Advance Mauritius’ energy goals, aligning with national targets for renewable integration.
- Demonstrate leadership in sustainability, showcasing corporate responsibility in action.
As the programme moves from its April launch to its September scale-up, ER Group remains firmly committed to empowering entrepreneurs, enabling collaboration, and helping Mauritius position itself as a regional hub for clean energy innovation.
