In the fight against climate change, bold ideas are only as powerful as the data that backs them up. The world is full of ambitious sustainability commitments – net-zero pledges, reforestation targets, clean energy transitions – but without measurable proof of impact, these promises remain just words.
According to a survey by the CFA Institute, 65% of investment professionals cite data availability as a significant challenge in integrating ESG factors into their investment processes.
That’s where Aquila comes in.
By leveraging IoT (Internet of Things) technology, Aquila transforms raw environmental data into a powerful tool for unlocking sustainable finance. In a space where financing climate projects can be slow and risk-averse, real-time impact measurement is the missing link between ambitious sustainability goals and the capital needed to achieve them.
Berdaya Talk is an initiative that explores the stories of change makers and the initiatives they have developed to support sustainable development in Indonesia. This article is part of a joint interview between Ollie Smeenk, Head of IoT Network at Aquila and Joel CY Chang, Group CEO of Charged Asia..
Ollie, how did you get started into the world of sustainable finance and climate tech?
My journey into sustainable finance didn’t start in boardrooms or with investment deals – it started from building hardware IoT systems designed to measure environmental impact.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by how technology can help us understand and protect nature. Every project I worked on had something to do with tracking, reducing, or making sense of environmental data – whether it was monitoring air quality, tracking emissions, or optimizing energy use.
But finance? That wasn’t my world – until I realized it had to be.
I was invited to join a team of seasoned finance professionals – people with deep experience in large-scale industrial project finance and SME lending. They saw something in my work: the ability to bring real-time data into the world of sustainable investments.
It was a perfect fit – combining technology, data, and finance to solve one of the biggest barriers to climate action: trust.
At Aquila, we’re proving that better data leads to better financing. By using IoT-powered Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV), we create transparent, verifiable insights that help businesses secure funding for sustainability projects.
Whether it’s tracking emissions reductions from an EV fleet or optimizing solar energy production, our mission is simple: turn environmental impact into measurable, investable data.
What excites me most is that this isn’t just about numbers - it’s about unlocking real change. If we can make climate financing more accessible, we can scale green innovations faster and ultimately, build a more sustainable future.
The Role of IoT in Unlocking Climate Finance
Traditionally, securing financing for climate projects – whether renewable energy, electric mobility, or conservation – has been challenging due to the lack of transparent and verifiable impact data.
Aquila solves this by integrating IoT sensors that track key environmental metrics such as energy savings, emissions reductions, and overall impact
“Data is critical for MRV,” Ollie explains. “The more granular and reliable the data, the more confidence investors and lenders have, leading to cheaper and more accessible financing.”
This approach eliminates the reliance on manual reporting, which is often inaccurate, slow, and prone to greenwashing. Instead, businesses using Aquila’s IoT-based MRV system can provide real-time, trusted insights, making them more attractive to impact investors and sustainable finance institutions.
Bringing The Data to Life: Aquila and Charged Indonesia Collaboration Case Study
Charged Indonesia, led by Joel, is a fast-growing EV fleet operator in Indonesia. When they first started, their biggest challenge wasn’t just scaling their fleet but securing financing to do so. Traditional lenders were hesitant, largely due to the conservative financing structures that favored combustion vehicles over new, unfamiliar EV technology.
“Indonesia’s financing sector is deeply embedded in the combustion vehicle supply chain,” Joel explains. “New EV brands face skepticism over resale value, battery longevity, and maintenance costs.”
To overcome these hurdles, Charged adopted a long-term leasing model (subscription-based financing) rather than outright vehicle sales. This structure allowed them to gradually de-risk the investment, but they still needed a way to finance their new fleets as they scale rapidly. That’s where Aquila came in.
In collaboration with Charged Aquila is proving that verified data doesn’t just make sustainability more transparent, but also investable. Through this collaboration, they are showcasing how, with the right infrastructure, capital can flow into bold actions to transition to climate-friendly transportation, helping Indonesia move toward a greener, more inclusive mobility future.
How the Technology Works: A Behind-the-Scenes Look
IoT devices are installed directly onto Charged’s EV fleet. These sensors track:
- Real-time vehicle usage (distance traveled, speed, and location)
- Energy consumption and efficiency
- CO2 emissions reduction compared to traditional combustion vehicles
- Fleet optimization insights
Think of it like a fitness tracker, but for vehicles – tracking every movement, energy use, and emission saved.
All of this data is sent to Aquila’s cloud platform, where it is processed and visualized for lenders, investors, and regulatory bodies. This transparent reporting framework ensures that sustainable finance is based on real impact, not just theoretical projections.
According to Joel, “Before using Aquila, we had no way to visualize our fleet’s data comprehensively. Now, we can track everything in real-time and even use that data to improve fleet efficiency and secure better financing terms.”
Despite being very eary in their collaboration, the opportunity enabled them to quickly unlock financing which allowed Charged to invest in 2,000 additional EV bikes.
The Challenge of Implementing IoT in Indonesia
Deploying IoT solutions in Indonesia presents its own set of unique challenges. Harsh environmental conditions, poor network coverage in remote areas, and even theft of sensors pose obstacles to implementation.
Joel shares, “Our vehicles go through extreme conditions – constant vibration, shocks, rain, and heat. Our IoT hardware has to be extremely durable.” Moreover, network connectivity costs can be a major financial burden, requiring a business model that justifies these expenses.
To address these challenges, Charged built an entire B2B fleet management system around their IoT deployment. They ensured that the data provided real value to their clients, helping them optimize fleet operations and reduce costs.
Future Trends: AI, Carbon Credits, and Policy Influence
As Aquila and Charged continue to scale, they are looking toward AI-powered data analysis to further enhance climate finance and EV efficiency.
“We’re already exploring how AI can help analyze IoT data faster and more effectively,” says Ollie. “This will allow us to automate insights, optimize vehicle performance, and even detect potential issues before they happen.”
Beyond operational improvements, carbon credits are emerging as an additional revenue stream. By quantifying their emissions reductions, Charged can sell verified carbon credits to companies looking to offset their footprint. However, this process requires robust data collection, validation, and registration – precisely what Aquila’s technology enables.
On the policy front, Indonesia’s evolving EV landscape presents both opportunities and challenges.
While government subsidies for EV adoption have been promising, uncertainty around long-term policies remains a concern. Data-driven advocacy could play a crucial role in shaping these policies, demonstrating to decision-makers the tangible impact of EV adoption.
The Human Impact: A Story Beyond Numbers
While the conversation around IoT, financing, and climate tech often revolves around big numbers and large-scale impact, sometimes the most compelling stories come from individual lives transformed by the technology.
Joel recalls a powerful moment when Charged’s IoT system helped save a life.
“One night, around 2 or 3 AM, we got a distress call from a woman. Her husband, a ride-hailing driver using one of our EVs, was missing. She was extremely worried. Thanks to our IoT system, we were able to track the location of his vehicle and get to him in time. He had been in a very bad mental state, and this intervention potentially saved his life.”
“It reminded me that at the heart of our work, beyond sensors and data points, are people – and that’s who we are ultimately building for.”
What were some lessons you’ve learned throughout your entrepreneurial journey building Aquila?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is how critical it is to have the right leadership teamp.In the early days, I tried launching my own startup without ever having worked for another company before – it was a tough road.
But now, being surrounded by people who have built companies, scaled innovations, and secured large-scale funding has accelerated everything. Entrepreneurship is not just about having a great idea; it’s about execution, timing, and surrounding yourself with the right people.
We’ve also learned that collaboration isn’t just about having aligned goals; it’s about being willing to challenge each other and push for better solutions. When you bring together different perspectives – whether it’s a background in hardware, finance, or fleet operations – you get a fuller picture of the problem and a better strategy for solving it.
This journey is just getting started. Our mission isn’t just to scale our own companies – it’s to change the way climate tech is financed and deployed. The more we can align technology, finance, and sustainability, the faster we can make a real impact.
