Solar producer with a first for a European B Corporation
Outdoor company WakaWaka now listed on the stock exchange
WakaWaka makes a European premiere: The non-profit-oriented outdoor solar company is the first European B Corporation to be listed on the stock exchange.
WakaWaka made a novelty on April 11. On that day, the outdoor lamp manufacturer went public on the Dutch NPEX exchange for small and medium-sized companies, making it Europe's first listed "B Corporation".
A "B Corporation" is an independently certified organization that "uses business operations as a means to do good".
Founded in 2012, the Dutch company, which also exhibited at ISPO Munich, improves access to light and electricity for at least one person outside the supply network for every consumer who buys a solar lamp or power bank from the company.
The declared goal is to improve the lives of five million people by 2020. For this, the company needs growth capital, which is why WakaWaka is offering part of its shares on the NPEX. All in all, the Dutch company hopes to generate proceeds of 2.5 million euros.
"An investment in WakaWaka is an investment in the lives of millions of people around the world," says Camille van Gestel, co-founder of WakaWaka: "We are proud to have already provided access to electricity and light for over 1.3 million people in remote regions. But we have only just begun."
Other examples of "B Corporations" include the outdoor brand Patagonia, Dopper, Ben&Jerry's and Tony's Chocolonely.