Around 10,000 of the poorest homes in Pakistan are to have access to solar power by the end of 2018.

EcoEnergy has secured a $600,000 (£427,364) investment, which will allow it to scale up its operations and extend distribution of smart solar home systems across the country.

It will buy BBOXX’s Pulse software, a cloud-based platform that enables distributed businesses to improve efficiency and manage products, customers and employees who are spread out across remote locations.

Around 40 million people are said to have no access to grid electricity in Pakistan.

The investment was granted after EcoEnergy struck a debt finance deal with SIMA, a social investment manager backed by the Dutch and Belgian government development banks, AXA, MetLife, USAID and the pension fund of the Episcopalian and Lutheran churches.

• EcoEnergy, Pakistan, investment, off-grid, rural, solar power