We live in a world where in most places electricity is taken for granted, yet even as global access improves, 666 million people are still left without power — a stark reminder from the World Bank Energy Progress Report 2025 that much more remains to be done.
Today’s power grids are outdated, fragile, and unable to meet modern needs. Transmission losses are high, and millions still lack reliable or affordable electricity — not only in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, but also across Europe. And with global electricity demand continuing to rise, the expected boom of data centers will put even greater pressure on already overstretched grids.
This raises an urgent question: Can we truly achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 — ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030?
On the TEDx stage, Lubo Minchev — visionary, investor, and majority shareholder at Telelink Group — shared how microgrids powered by solar energy, battery systems, and telecom innovation can transform existing telecommunication towers into decentralized sources of clean power — not only supporting communication networks but also bringing electricity to nearby communities still living in darkness.
Over the past two decades, Lubo has backed more than 35 startups and enterprises, driving innovation across telecommunications, infrastructure, and energy. Building on this experience, and together with his enthusiastic team, he has taken on the challenge of delivering an economically feasible solution to fight energy poverty, replace diesel generators with clean energy, and create scalable impact.
This is possible because technology is moving faster than ever — reshaping how we generate, store, and distribute energy — while becoming more accessible and affordable, opening opportunities to bring sustainable power where it’s needed most. Let’s connect the dots:
• With mature solar and battery storage technologies, the towers can be transformed into power hubs.
• Smart microgrids bring generation closer to users, reducing losses and vulnerabilities.
• Telecom towers — over 5 million worldwide, rising to 6 million by 2033 — reach also locations where electricity is most needed.
The mission of Lubo Minchev and his team at Telelink Infra is bold and crystal clear: to transform the towers that connect the world into towers that also can light the world — delivering transformative solutions.
