The successful partnership between Azuri Technologies [1], a leading pay-as-you-go solar solutions innovator, and Fortune 500 company Marubeni Corporation has been awarded Best UK-Japan Partnership for 2019 at the British Business Awards.

The annual British Business Awards, which were held in Tokyo on Friday, showcased game-changing achievements of British and Japanese companies.

In June, Azuri announced an investment of US$26 million, led by Marubeni. Working together, Marubeni and Azuri are implementing a strategy to deliver affordable, clean energy solutions to millions across sub-Saharan Africa. Over 600 million people still lack access to the grid in the region.

“The energy market globally is in a period of rapid change and innovators such as Azuri are demonstrating how new technology can support or even replace conventional ways of delivering power,” explains Simon Bransfield-Garth, CEO of Azuri Technologies.

“The partnership between Azuri and Marubeni is an excellent example of how established businesses and fast-growing technology-based organisations can collaborate to accelerate growth. We are delighted to win this award.”

Commenting on the award success, Yuji Sato, Marubeni General Manager, Power Business Division said: “While many energy businesses are focusing on delivering established technologies, Marubeni is exploring how new technology can provide a disruptive shift in the global energy market. Azuri is at the forefront of this transition and provides a front seat view of these new markets as they develop.

The successful partnership is driven by a synergy between Azuri’s and Marubeni’s long-term vision for renewable energy and its role in providing life-changing, clean technology which is affordable to low-income rural households in Africa who currently are forced to spend a disproportionate amount of family income on harmful alternatives to light and power homes.

Since launching in 2012, Azuri has become one of the leading providers of life changing pay-as-you-go solar power lighting and TV systems, operating in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Nigeria.

The win in Tokyo is the latest recognition in a long list for Azuri including being named as the 42nd fastest growing technology business in the UK by _The Sunday Times _newspaper in September 2019. Azuri was also named in the CleanTech 100 and named in the FT1000 list of fastest-growing companies in Europe in 2019.

Photo caption: Collecting the award in Tokyo, Liam Hickey, Chief Financial Officer at Azuri Technologies (right) and Suguru Tsuzaki from the Power Business Division, Marubeni Corporation.

ABOUT AZURI TECHNOLOGIES LTD.

Azuri Technologies is a leading provider of affordable pay-as-you-go solar home systems to off-grid consumers across Africa. Combining the latest solar innovation and mobile payment technology, Azuri delivers reliable, renewable and distributed power to the millions who have no access to modern powered services. Azuri operates in five key territories; Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda with East Africa Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and West Africa Headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria.

For more information, please visit: www.azuri-technologies.com

ABOUT MARUBENI CORPORATION

Marubeni Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries use their broad business networks, both within Japan and overseas, to conduct importing and exporting (including third country trading), as well as domestic business, encompassing a diverse range of business activities across wide-ranging fields including food, agriculture & chemicals, consumer products, power, energy & metals, machinery, infrastructure & financial business.