A Nigerian firm, Shyft Power Solutions, and UK-based SteamaCo have announced a merger to accelerate Africa’s energy sector transformation.

The merger, supported by new funding led by Equator VC, aims to enhance the continent’s grid-connected market and expand customer reach.

Shyft Power Solutions, known for its innovative digital energy solutions in Nigeria, and SteamaCo, with over a decade of experience in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) across 20 African countries, will now combine their expertise. Shyft’s cloud-based distributed energy resource management system and metering solutions, including FlexView, will integrate with SteamaCo’s Nimbus AMI, which helps detect losses and manage energy networks.

The merger comes amid regulatory changes that favour independent power producers and utilities in grid intelligence and metering. With rising energy costs and widespread power shortages in Africa, the combined entity aims to provide reliable, data-driven solutions to enhance operational efficiency and address energy access challenges.

Shyft’s CEO, Ugwem Eneyo, highlighted the company’s commitment to transforming power providers’ operations and fostering smart cities. Tom Parkison, MD of SteamaCo, emphasised the potential for innovation and growth in African markets, noting that the merger strengthens their ability to provide customised solutions.

Nijhad Jamal, Managing Partner of Equator, praised the merger as a crucial step in addressing Africa’s energy challenges, enhancing smart metering solutions, and improving energy access.

The executive management teams of both firms will remain, with job creation anticipated. The merger also marks a significant achievement for Shyft, a female-founded African deep-tech start-up, as the combined entity will have a predominantly female management team.

SteamaCo specialises in IoT-enabled smart metering, while Shyft Power Solutions focuses on developing hardware and software to manage energy services in emerging markets.