Bolt Energy raises over R$6 million in operation tokenized by MB | Startups

With annual revenue already exceeding R$1 billion, Bolt Energy has the energy for more. To meet the growing demand for distributed generation (DG) projects, the startup has just raised another R$6 million from individuals in an operation structured by Mercado Bitcoin, through MB Corporate. In total, the platform has already raised more than R$18 million for energytech from small investors.

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The resource was raised through the so-called “fixed income token”, an instrument that allows for more agile and efficient debt raising from individuals. The product, distributed in just 30 days, has a term of 18 months, and allows investments from R$100. The issuance was completed on April 9th.

With blockchain technology, tokens achieve up to three times more efficiency (or agility) than similar fundraising in the traditional market, such as issuing a debenture in a bank, for example. “The cost of funding is much lower for any size company”, says Reinaldo Rabelo, CEO of MB.

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It is not the first time that the two companies have worked together. Since 2012, MB has been raising capital so that Bolt can build new DG projects. Nor is it MB’s only experience with the sector: in the energy segment, the platform has already tokenized R$39 million in funding.

Bolt currently operates most strongly in Minas Gerais, but is present in eight Brazilian states, in the Northeast, Central-West and South of the country. Some projects include partnerships with CPFL Paulista and Copel, in Paraná. The challenge is to continue implementing the energy production network (solar, mainly) and advance further in states that are more resistant to the model, such as Mato Grosso.

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Fundraising like this has been a strategy to attract more attention to the business, in fact. “We issued a token to capture not only the financial resource, but to capture the customer”, explains Gustavo Ayala, CEO of Bolt Energy. “A big difference here is legal security. Our partners have a structure and an important voice in this crypto segment, they work in partnership with the CVM and the authorities, which also leaves us at ease when carrying out this type of operation.”

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Bolt and MB have been studying the launch of a subscription model, also via a tokenized asset, which will allow the contracting of “prepaid” energy through discounts. The format of the operation has not yet been fully established, but the current operation and the speed with which it was distributed, in the partners’ view, gives an idea of ​​the demand.