Solar Sister

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.

Name

Solar Sister

Legal name

Solar Sister

Website

https://solarsister.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 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

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

• Solar energy distribution
• Women entrepreneurship programs
• Off-grid solar solutions
• Clean energy access
• Nonprofit solar initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging 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

• Xx.com/Solar_Sister
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solar-sister

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solar Sister