EDFI Management Company has extended a $5 million unsecured loan to BURN Manufacturing, a Kenyan company at the forefront of Africa’s clean cooking revolution. The funding, disbursed through the European Union’s Electrification Financing Initiative (ElectriFI), is the latest move in a wave of international capital backing climate-smart, health-conscious energy solutions for African households.
The investment — channeled via the ElectriFI Kenya Country Window — aims to expand BURN’s manufacturing and distribution of clean cookstoves and bolster its carbon offset projects. It reflects growing interest among development financiers in supporting alternatives to charcoal and firewood, which remain the dominant cooking fuels for nearly 950 million Africans, with devastating consequences for public health and the environment.
Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Nairobi, BURN Manufacturing produces a range of biomass and electric stoves tailored to the needs of low-income households. The company’s clean cooking devices are designed to reduce fuel consumption, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and lessen the burden of respiratory diseases linked to indoor air pollution.
The EDFI loan follows a separate $12 million investment last year from Vancouver-based Key Carbon — formerly Carbon Neutral Royalty — with backing from private equity firm Cartesian. That funding is enabling BURN to expand biomass stove distribution in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Mozambique, and Tanzania. It also supports the rollout of electric cooking appliances in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Uganda.
BURN’s business model is closely tied to the growing market for carbon credits. By displacing traditional stoves that burn wood or charcoal, BURN’s products help reduce carbon emissions, generating credits that can be sold to global buyers. The company estimates that its stoves will avert over 12 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over the next seven years.
“The carbon finance component is essential,” Peter Scott, BURN’s founder and CEO. “We’re not just delivering stoves — we’re creating a climate impact that can be measured, verified, and monetized. With our partners, we aim to mobilize $1 billion in carbon finance to scale clean cooking solutions across Africa.”
Access to clean cooking is among the least-funded areas of global energy development, despite its centrality to health, gender equality, and environmental preservation. According to the World Bank, just 3.7% of the DRC’s population had access to clean cooking technologies in 2020. In rural areas, the rate dropped to 0.5%. Most households rely on charcoal produced through deforestation, which accelerates land degradation and contributes to biodiversity loss.
BURN’s entry into markets like the DRC, where more than 100 million people live, underscores the scale of the challenge — and opportunity. Clean cookstoves not only reduce pressure on forests but also offer significant health benefits by curbing exposure to harmful smoke, which is a leading cause of respiratory illness in women and children.
EDFI’s loan illustrates a broader trend in impact finance: the strategic use of catalytic capital to derisk early-stage ventures tackling entrenched development challenges. ElectriFI, launched in 2018 with €250 million in committed capital, is one of several EU-led initiatives aimed at unlocking private investment in sustainable energy across emerging markets.
As international donors and financiers increasingly recognize the multifaceted impacts of clean energy access, BURN’s model may offer a viable pathway for aligning economic development with climate action. With continued support, the company plans to reach millions more households in the years ahead.
In a continent where cooking remains one of the most dangerous daily tasks, BURN’s efforts — rooted in local manufacturing, climate finance, and public health — signal a shift toward a more sustainable and equitable future.