Node NBO, a new co-working space for bitcoin and freedom tech companies, opened its doors in Nairobi on May 16. Located in the Gigiri neighborhood near the United Nations headquarters, the facility is powered entirely by solar panels supplied by Gridless. The soft launch drew CEOs and co-founders from Fedi, Gridless, BTrust, and Minmo — a sign of the growing intersection between bitcoin, renewable energy, and decentralized infrastructure in East Africa.
A solar-powered workspace in Gigiri
The building runs solely on solar energy. Gridless, a company known for deploying bitcoin mining alongside renewable energy projects, provided the panels. That setup matters in a region where grid power can be unreliable or expensive. Node NBO is designed as a home for companies working on bitcoin, freedom tech, compute, and energy — a mix that reflects a broader push to pair bitcoin mining with stranded energy and to build financial infrastructure outside traditional banking.
Three labs for open-source tech
Inside, Node NBO houses three distinct labs: an open-source energy lab, an open-source bitcoin mining lab, and an AI compute lab. The energy lab will likely focus on hardware and software for decentralized power systems. The bitcoin mining lab gives engineers a place to test rigs and optimize operations. The AI compute lab points to a growing interest in using bitcoin mining ASICs or repurposed hardware for machine-learning workloads — though the facts don't specify exact projects yet. The space can also host events for over 150 people, making it a potential gathering spot for the local bitcoin community.
Satellite internet, paid in bitcoin
Node NBO will also serve as a base for SateNet team members. SateNet, a Fedi partner, builds satellite internet towers for underserved communities. Residents in those communities can buy high-speed internet at low rates by paying in bitcoin through the Fedi app. That integration — satellite connectivity plus bitcoin payments — is exactly the kind of real-world use case Node NBO is meant to accelerate. Having SateNet on-site means developers can work directly with the people deploying the towers.
The facility is now open. With its solar backbone, three specialized labs, and a lineup of tenants that includes Fedi, Gridless, BTrust, and the Human Rights Foundation, Node NBO is a concrete bet on bitcoin infrastructure in Africa. The next event — or the next company to set up shop — will test whether the space can live up to that ambition.
