In Ouagadougou, where more than 90% of households own at least one combustion-engine motorcycle, urban mobility remains dominated by ageing, costly and highly CO₂-emitting vehicles. A pioneer of solar electric mobility in West Africa, Félin Express joins the Néré Capital portfolio under the CATAL1.5°T programme. This partnership opens a new stage in the company’s development, with the ambition of accelerating the deployment of electric scooters powered by solar energy and adapted to the realities of urban professionals.

From a shared conviction to a frugal industrial model

Félin Express’s story begins well before its official creation at the end of 2023. It was born of a conviction forged over more than a decade by two exceptional profiles: Abraham BALIMA, former general manager within the international group Newrest, and Karim OUEDRAOGO, doctor of electronics and tech entrepreneur.

Confronted, during their regular returns to Burkina Faso, with growing air pollution driven by the massive use of combustion-engine two-wheelers, they made an alarming observation: in Ouagadougou, combustion-engine motorcycles contribute more than half of urban CO₂ emissions, in a country with no oil resources and dependent on costly fuel imports.

Behind this initiative lies a conviction: in a Sahelian country that enjoys nearly 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, the alliance between electric scooters and solar charging stations is a sustainable, accessible and economically viable alternative to combustion-engine mobility.

It is from this conviction that Félin Express was born. The company specialised in the rental and sale of electric scooters recharged with solar energy, with an integrated offer including maintenance, insurance and charging stations. In parallel, through its sister brand Félin Énergies, it operates a business of selling and installing photovoltaic systems for individuals, SMEs and small commercial structures, generating immediate revenues while strengthening its technical expertise.

The company’s results testify to significant performances for a pilot phase. According to data presented by Félin Express, its fleet has covered more than 180,000 kilometres in less than a year, with a daily operating cost up to 60% lower than that of combustion-engine two-wheelers. Around forty solar installations have been completed, and revenue of nearly 44 million FCFA was reached as early as 2024. The scooters show technical availability above 95%, and the model has already avoided more than 14 tonnes of CO₂eq. As of 30 June 2025, operating profit turned positive (+25%), confirming the robustness of the model.

Support to scale up

 

Félin Express’s entry into the Néré Capital portfolio, under the CATAL1.5°T programme, comes at a strategic moment in its development.

The aim is to enable the company to triple its operational capacity and take a new step in scaling up. The support will focus on three structuring pillars.

• First, strengthening the fleet and energy infrastructure. Félin Express plans to acquire 36 additional electric scooters and install two new solar stations. This evolution should enable it to meet the growing demand from delivery professionals, while ensuring the energy autonomy of the service through solar charging independent of the national grid.
• Next, structuring the organisation. The support will make it possible to recruit new technical and administrative profiles, formalise internal processes and strengthen the team’s capabilities. The company also plans to strengthen its accounting and treasury management practices, in order to manage its ramp-up with confidence.
• Finally, technological development. Félin Express intends to develop a proprietary digital fleet-tracking platform. The objective is to allow customers to view the status of their scooter in real time, optimise their logistics operations and benefit from proactive after-sales service. In the medium term, this solution could be marketed as a white-label product to other electric mobility operators.

Electric mobility in the service of climate resilience

Beyond the support, this partnership reflects a shared vision of tomorrow’s mobility.

In Sahelian cities, where dependence on combustion-engine two-wheelers creates a structural economic and environmental vulnerability, mobility solutions must be able to combine energy efficiency, operational performance and economic viability.

This is precisely the ground on which Félin Express intends to position itself. By replacing combustion-engine scooters with solar-powered electric models, the company contributes directly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving urban air quality. Every kilometre driven electric avoids the CO₂ emissions linked to fuel combustion, with an estimated reduction potential of more than 258 tonnes of CO₂ over five years.

Beyond the environmental impact, Félin Express’s model opens a lever of economic empowerment for delivery riders and self-employed workers, who can significantly reduce their operating costs while benefiting from a reliable and continuous service. The company also aims at the progressive inclusion of women in a historically male sector, through targeted technical training.

For Néré Capital, supporting Félin Express is part of a broader approach: identifying and supporting companies capable of turning environmental challenges into lasting economic and social opportunities, while strengthening the resilience of urban territories to the effects of climate change.

A new stage for Félin Express

After less than a year in operation, Félin Express is today entering a new phase of its history.

The support of Néré Capital and the CATAL1.5°T programme should enable it to triple its service capacity, structure its growth and lay the foundations of a model that can be replicated on a larger scale. The expected impacts are clear: more than 50 direct and indirect jobs consolidated, around one hundred professionals served, and an estimated carbon saving of more than 258 tonnes of CO₂ over five years.

In the medium term, the company ambitions to expand its offer into taxis and heavy urban logistics, to launch a local manufacturing approach with the assembly of scooters in Burkina Faso, and to spread its model to other capitals of the Sahelian sub-region.

Through this partnership, Néré Capital reaffirms its determination to invest in innovative companies whose models help build more resilient economies and a more sustainable future.

About CATAL1.5°T

CATAL1.5°T is an acceleration programme dedicated to African SMEs and startups committed to the fight against climate change. Funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and BMZ, the programme offers seed financing as well as strategic and technical support designed to help companies structure their growth and maximise their impact.

The programme is carried by GIZ, Climate-KIC and I&P, in partnership with Néré Capital, Comoé Capital and Teranga Capital. It targets companies active in energy access, sustainable mobility, energy efficiency and resource management.

Links
Website: felin.bf