The investment amount was not disclosed, but the capital will support Irrisol’s operational expansion and the rollout of more community water mini-grids in Uganda.

Founded in 2017 by water and irrigation engineer Joash Bwambale, Irrisol operates in Western Uganda, supplying water to households and community taps through solar-powered pumps.

Its systems use consumption-based billing and mobile-money payments, allowing customers to pay according to their usage while giving the company a mechanism to collect recurring revenue and maintain its infrastructure.

Irrisol also designs and installs standalone solar water systems for schools, hospitals, businesses, and households.

This mix of contracted installations and utility-style recurring revenue gives the company a commercial base as it expands water access in communities that are often underserved by conventional networks.

The company said it has developed 14 community water mini-grids and more than 600 standalone water systems, reaching about 350,000 people.

Irrisol plans to extend its mini-grid network across the Rwenzori region and into other parts of Uganda.

“Joash is exactly the type of founder we back: a local entrepreneur solving a problem he lived himself,” said Cikü Mugambi, Investment Director at DOB Equity.

“Balancing commercial returns with genuine impact is never easy, but Joash has cracked this with water minigrids and standalone systems embedded directly in rural communities, paired with pay-as-you-go plans that align payments with household incomes and make clean water genuinely accessible.”

Rural water infrastructure often faces operational constraints after installation, including weak maintenance systems, unreliable revenue collection, and limited financing for repairs and expansion.

Irrisol addresses these risks by assessing water sources before construction and regularly inspecting and maintaining systems after they are commissioned.

The investment adds to a growing focus on decentralized infrastructure models that can serve communities beyond the reach of large utility networks.

Solar pumping reduces dependence on grid electricity and fuel-powered equipment, while mobile payments can lower collection costs and support more predictable operations.

Bwambale said the partnership will help the company replicate its model in more communities.

“Partnering with DOB Equity gives us the capital, expertise and long-term partnership we need to replicate our model in more communities across Uganda,” he said.

“Together, we have an opportunity to demonstrate that rural water infrastructure can be both an essential public service and a sustainable enterprise.”

Beyond household water supply, Irrisol is exploring productive uses of water, including irrigation and fish farming.

If deployed effectively, these applications could help connect water infrastructure to local agricultural production, household incomes, and more resilient rural economies.