Andreas Spieß

Andreas Spieß was a workshop presenter at the 6th International Holcim Forum for Sustainable Construction in Cairo, April 4-6, 2019. He presented “Decentralize our world: A manifesto for rural energy-connectivity hubs”.

His professional career started in 1999 as a lawyer and founding partner of Spieß Schumacher Schmieg & Partner, a law firm focusing on IP and Media Law as well as clean-tech start-ups. He undertook extensive legal work in the field of renewable energy and developing markets which continues today and was the inspiration for his second career as an impact investor and serial entrepreneur.

In 2008, Andreas Spieß and his Ethiopian partners founded Solar Development, based in Addis Ababa, which now is one of the largest solar system integrators in Ethiopia. In 2010 he co-founded Fosera Ethiopia, a solar lighting product assembly line based in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

He was Founder and CEO of SOLARKIOSK (2012-19). His entrepreneurial experience in the off-grid sector was the basis for his idea for SOLARKIOSK to which his partners from GRAFT architects contributed the award-winning technology-design. The company has received recognition including the Alliance for Rural Electrification Award (2017), Bloomberg New Energy Pioneer Award (2016), Erasmus Energy Business Award (2015), German Federal Design Awards – Silver Prize (2014) and Ecodesign Award – German Federal Environmental Ministry (2013).