Leadership and Capacity Building

We are proud to celebrate our co-founder, Mercy Sheila Otuko, for successfully completing Cohort 4 of the Clean Energy Entrepreneurship Program, held at Strathmore University from August 17–28, 2026.
The intensive two-week program was delivered by the Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC) in partnership with UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions), the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum of Kenya, Open Energy Labs, and the WEEE Centre. The initiative brought together leading technical experts and venture founders to address critical scaling challenges across the clean energy ecosystem.

Bridging Engineering with Enterprise Scale

For Umeme Sense, strengthening technical execution alongside business fundamentals is essential to scaling smart grid and energy monitoring solutions across the region.
During the cohort, Mercy engaged in hands-on modules designed to accelerate technology commercialization, focusing on:

• Engineering & Hardware: Advanced electricity, power electronics, and system integration.
  
• Commercialization & Growth: Business strategy, operations, product marketing, branding, and sales pipelines.
  
• Financial Modeling: Bookkeeping, cost structures, and sustainable financial management.
  
• Regulatory Compliance: Navigating energy licensing, local permitting, and regulatory frameworks.
  

"A key takeaway from the program is that great technology is only part of the equation. Creating lasting impact requires an aligned business model, ecosystem navigation, and consistent value delivery for end users."

Powering the Next Phase of Innovation

These capabilities directly feed into Umeme Sense's ongoing development of smart metering, real-time energy intelligence, renewable energy integration, and Virtual Net Metering (VNM) platforms.
A special thank you to the program facilitators: Peter Gitau, Bundi Thomas, Dorcas Otieno, Robert Yawe, Dominic Maina, John Ocheche, and Patricia Munywoki,alongside the partner organizations and fellow entrepreneurs for hosting an impactful program.
We look forward to applying these insights as we build robust digital infrastructure for Africa's clean energy transition!