Solar Sister
Solar Sister is a nonprofit that trains and equips women entrepreneurs across Africa to distribute affordable solar energy products to off-grid households, combining women's economic empowerment with clean-energy access.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBristol, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Solar Sister does
Solar Sister is a US-registered nonprofit organization, operationally headquartered in Kampala, Uganda, that empowers women entrepreneurs across Africa to distribute solar energy products (primarily lighting and household energy solutions) to off-grid and underserved communities. Founded in 2010 (per firmographic records; some sources cite 2015 as program inception), the organization operates a community-led, last-mile distribution model in which women purchase solar products in bulk and resell or lease them directly to households, simultaneously generating income for the distributors and expanding access to clean, affordable energy in areas without grid electricity.
The organization's core 'technology' is operational rather than digital: a training-and-supply model for women micro-distributors, supported by grant and philanthropic funding rather than commercial sales. Its revenue mechanics are nonprofit in nature — anchored by a $5 million, three-year corporate-philanthropic commitment from Palmetto (announced 2021, reaffirmed 2023) and supplemented by grants such as EEP Africa funding. Pricing of solar products to end consumers is not publicly disclosed and is set within local community contexts by individual women entrepreneurs.
Solar Sister serves two interlocking populations: (1) women in African countries seeking income-generating entrepreneurship opportunities, and (2) off-grid households needing affordable clean energy alternatives to kerosene and other polluting fuels. Programmatic targets are ambitious — reaching 10 million people and supporting 10,000 women entrepreneurs over the Palmetto-funded three-year window. The organization is small in headcount (1–10 employees) and operates with a lean leadership structure (CEO Katherine Lucey, COO Olasimbo Sojinrin, plus country and engagement leads), relying on its distributed women-entrepreneur network as the primary scale mechanism.
Solar Sister firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Solar Sister
- Legal name
- Solar Sister
- Website
- https://solarsister.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Solar Sister is a nonprofit that trains and equips women entrepreneurs across Africa to distribute affordable solar energy products to off-grid households, combining women's economic empowerment with clean-energy access.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Solar Sister industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Off-Grid Solar Energy Distribution
- NAICS
- Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD)
Keywords
Where Solar Sister is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Solar Sister business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic/Nonprofit Funding: Solar Sister operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through grants and donations from partners like Palmetto. The organization focuses on social impact rather than commercial revenue generation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Solar Sister product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Solar Sister is a nonprofit organization that empowers women entrepreneurs in Africa to act as micro-distributors of solar energy products, including solar lighting and clean energy solutions, for off-grid households and underserved communities. The organization provides training, bulk-purchase access, and ongoing support to women who resell or lease solar products directly to households that lack electricity access.
Product overview
Solar Sister is a nonprofit organization focused on distributing solar energy products through a network of women entrepreneurs in underserved African communities. The organization enables women to become clean energy distributors and entrepreneurs, providing solar lighting and energy solutions to households without electricity. Based on the available source material, no specific named product modules, brands, or sub-products are described — the sources characterize Solar Sister's overall mission and impact metrics but do not enumerate individual product offerings or service lines.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Solar Lighting and Clean Energy Solutions
- Women Entrepreneur Solar Distribution Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Reached millions of people since 2015
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Solar Sister
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Solar Sister technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Solar Sister partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Solar Sister competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- PowerGen Renewable Energy: East African mini-grid and off-grid solar operator with similar mission to extend clean energy access to underserved communities via distributed infrastructure.
- Sistema.bio: Mexican-rooted biodigester and clean energy company expanding into East Africa with similar smallholder/distributor model; comparable last-mile distribution and rural customer.
Direct peers
- SolarAid: Nonprofit focused on combating energy poverty in Africa through solar distribution; shares the last-mile, mission-driven distribution model and target customer base as Solar Sister.
- d.light: For-profit pay-as-you-go solar provider serving off-grid households across Africa; directly comparable product category (solar lanterns/SHS) and customer segment as Solar Sister.
- M-KOPA: Leading PAYGO solar home system operator in East Africa; competes for the same off-grid African household customer with deeper capital, mobile-money integration, and agent networks.
- BBOXX: Global off-grid solar company deploying PAYGO solar home systems across Africa; comparable product, target market, and distribution-led growth model.
- Sun King (formerly Greenlight Planet): Distributor of affordable solar lanterns and home systems through agent networks in Africa and Asia; comparable distribution-led model and underserved off-grid customer.
- Barefoot College: Nonprofit training rural women (including in Africa) as solar engineers and community entrepreneurs; directly comparable mission of women-led clean energy distribution to underserved communities.
Broad incumbents
- ENGIE Energy Access: Subsidiary of global utility ENGIE distributing off-grid solar across Africa; overlaps in product, geography, and customer, but operates as a commercial entity within a much larger portfolio.
- Fenix International (an ENGIE company): Acquired PAYGO solar provider operating across Uganda and broader East Africa; comparable product and target geography to Solar Sister's core Ugandan footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Solar Sister social profiles
Digital presenceSolar Sister financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Solar Sister leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Solar Sister funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Solar Sister M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Solar Sister
What does Solar Sister do?
Solar Sister is a nonprofit organization that empowers women entrepreneurs in Africa to act as micro-distributors of solar energy products, including solar lighting and clean energy solutions, for off-grid households and underserved communities. The organization provides training, bulk-purchase access, and ongoing support to women who resell or lease solar products directly to households that lack electricity access.
Is Solar Sister a public or private company?
Solar Sister is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Solar Sister founded?
Solar Sister was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Solar Sister based?
Solar Sister is headquartered in Bristol, United States, in the North America region.
How does Solar Sister make money?
One revenue line is on record: philanthropic/Nonprofit Funding.
Who are Solar Sister's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are PowerGen Renewable Energy and Sistema.bio. Direct peers are SolarAid, d.light, M-KOPA, BBOXX, Sun King (formerly Greenlight Planet) and Barefoot College. Broad incumbents are ENGIE Energy Access and Fenix International (an ENGIE company).
Does Solar Sister have an API?
No public API is recorded for Solar Sister.
What industry is Solar Sister in?
Solar Sister's product category is Off-Grid Solar Energy Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUACALAJ, Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro), with a secondary code of EUAMAJAD, Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind. Its NAICS code is 221114 and its SIC code is 8300.