Sunfolding
Sunfolding is a San Francisco-based private hardware company founded in 2012 that develops new approaches to solar tracking for commercial and utility-scale photovoltaic installations, serving solar developers and utility customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sunfolding does
Sunfolding is a privately held, venture-backed hardware company founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco that develops new approaches to solar tracking for commercial and utility-scale photovoltaic installations. The company's stated focus is on improving the mechanical and control architecture of solar trackers — the motorized mounting systems that orient PV panels toward the sun — rather than on module or inverter technology. Sunfolding operates with a workforce of 11–50 employees and is led by founder and CTO Leila Madrone, CEO Jurgen Krehnke, and chairman Saul Griffith, with additional executive coverage in product, finance, sales, business development, and supply chain.
Across 2017–2019 the company raised approximately $32.12 million in disclosed funding, beginning with a $120,000 seed-class round backed by Y Combinator and ARPA-E in 2017, follow-on rounds in 2018 with Alumni Ventures, Macquarie Capital, and R/GA Ventures, and culminating in a $32 million Series 2 in October 2019 led by G2 Venture Partners and Macquarie Capital with participation from Alumni Ventures and City Light Capital. Sunfolding also formed partnerships with BloombergNEF (2019) and Elemental Impact (2018), and received ARPA-E support, indicating engagement with both federal energy-tech validation pathways and broader cleantech investment ecosystems.
The company's revenue mechanics, customer base, geographic footprint beyond San Francisco, and commercial deployment volumes are not disclosed in the available data, reflecting the typical information asymmetry of a venture-stage hardware company. Key inputs that would enable a fuller commercial read — named utility customers, ARR or units deployed, ASP, and post-2019 operating updates — are absent from the source material.
Sunfolding firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sunfolding
- Legal name
- Hexxen
- Website
- https://sunfolding.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sunfolding is a San Francisco-based private hardware company founded in 2012 that develops new approaches to solar tracking for commercial and utility-scale photovoltaic installations, serving solar developers and utility customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sunfolding industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Solar Tracking Systems
- akta.pro primary industry
- PV Mounting & Tracking Systems (Fixed-Tilt, Single-/Dual-Axis Trackers) (EUACAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Solar Mounting, Racking & Trackers (Fixed-Tilt, Single/Dual-Axis, Rooftop Mounts) (EUAMABAF)
Keywords
Where Sunfolding is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sunfolding business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Services (Custom Development, Design, Marketing): Hexxen generates revenue through providing custom web development, application development, design, SEO, and digital marketing professional services to enterprise and mid-market clients. Services include custom software, API development, WordPress development, Shopify development, branding, web design, and full-service marketing campaigns.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise solutions with tailored pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Sunfolding product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sunfolding develops new approaches to solar tracking for commercial and utility-scale photovoltaic systems. The company designs and manufactures solar tracking hardware intended to improve energy capture, reliability, and economics for large-scale solar power plants. Its offering targets solar developers and installers operating commercial and utility-scale projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Solar Tracking Systems Hardware-based solar tracking systems designed for commercial and utility-scale photovoltaic installations, intended to improve energy capture and project economics for solar developers and EPCs.
Companies that use Sunfolding
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sunfolding technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Sunfolding partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Google CloudcoreHexxen has developed professional expertise and partnerships with Google Cloud for cloud-based development, deployment, and infrastructure solutions.
- AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreAmazon Web Services partnership providing cloud infrastructure capabilities for enterprise application development and deployment.
- Microsoft AzurecoreMicrosoft Azure cloud platform partnership for development, deployment, and enterprise solutions.
- WordPresscoreWordPress development specialization with deep platform expertise for content management and website development.
- ShopifycoreShopify ecommerce development partnership for building online stores and ecommerce platforms.
- Adobe Commerce (Magento)coreAdobe Commerce (Magento) development partnership for enterprise-level ecommerce solutions.
- SalesforcecoreSalesforce development and integration partnership for CRM solutions and customer management systems.
- Microsoft DynamicscoreMicrosoft Dynamics enterprise solution partnership for business applications and ERP systems.
- Google PartnercoreOfficial Google Partner status for Google Ads and advertising solutions, enabling certified Google Ads management services.
- Facebook PartnercoreFacebook Marketing Partner status for social media advertising and marketing solutions.
- LinkedIn Ads PartnerscoreLinkedIn Ads Partner status for B2B advertising and professional network marketing.
- Laravel (PHP)coreLaravel PHP framework expertise for custom web application development.
- Node.jscoreNode.js development capability for server-side JavaScript applications and real-time applications.
- ReactcoreReact framework development for building modern user interfaces and single-page applications.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Sunfolding competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nextracker: Largest U.S.-headquartered solar tracker manufacturer, supplying single-axis trackers for utility-scale PV. Directly competes with Sunfolding on the same product category, customer base (utility-scale developers/EPCs), and bankability-driven sales motion.
- Array Technologies: Public U.S. manufacturer of single-axis solar trackers used in utility-scale projects. Direct competitor to Sunfolding, selling into the same developer/EPC customer base with a comparable hardware product.
- STI Norland: Spanish-headquartered global supplier of solar trackers (fixed-tilt and single-axis) for utility and commercial-scale projects. Direct peer competing for the same international utility-scale RFPs.
- GameChange Solar: U.S.-based manufacturer of fixed-tilt and single-axis solar trackers plus pile-driven racking for utility-scale PV. Direct competitor to Sunfolding with overlapping product lines and customer base.
- Soltec: Spanish-headquartered vertically integrated solar tracker manufacturer focused on utility-scale single-axis tracking. Directly comparable to Sunfolding on product, customer segment, and go-to-market motion.
- PV Hardware (PVH): Spanish-headquartered solar tracker manufacturer with strong presence in LATAM, EMEA, and MEA utility-scale markets. Direct competitor offering single-axis trackers for utility-scale solar projects.
- Arctech Solar: Chinese-headquartered manufacturer of solar trackers (fixed-tilt and single-axis) with global project deployments. Direct peer competing in the same utility-scale tracker market with similar product range.
- Ideematec: German-headquartered solar tracker manufacturer offering horizontal single-axis trackers for utility-scale projects. Direct competitor with comparable product focus on cost-effective tracker architectures.
- Convert (Array Technologies portfolio): Tracker brand that was acquired by Array Technologies; historically a direct single-axis tracker competitor to Sunfolding in the utility-scale market. Comparable on product, customer base, and sales motion.
Broad incumbents
- Trina Tracker: Tracker division of Trina Solar, a vertically integrated module and tracker supplier. Overlaps with Sunfolding in single-axis trackers but as part of Trina's broader module-plus-tracker platform play.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Sunfolding social profiles
Digital presenceSunfolding financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sunfolding leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Sunfolding funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sunfolding 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 Sunfolding
What does Sunfolding do?
Sunfolding develops new approaches to solar tracking for commercial and utility-scale photovoltaic systems. The company designs and manufactures solar tracking hardware intended to improve energy capture, reliability, and economics for large-scale solar power plants. Its offering targets solar developers and installers operating commercial and utility-scale projects.
Is Sunfolding a public or private company?
Sunfolding is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Sunfolding founded?
Sunfolding was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sunfolding based?
Sunfolding is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sunfolding make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services (Custom Development, Design, Marketing).
Who are Sunfolding's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nextracker, Array Technologies, STI Norland, GameChange Solar, Soltec, PV Hardware (PVH), Arctech Solar, Ideematec and Convert (Array Technologies portfolio). Trina Tracker is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Sunfolding have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sunfolding.
What industry is Sunfolding in?
Sunfolding's product category is Solar Tracking Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUACAGAD, PV Mounting & Tracking Systems (Fixed-Tilt, Single-/Dual-Axis Trackers), with a secondary code of EUAMABAF, Solar Mounting, Racking & Trackers (Fixed-Tilt, Single/Dual-Axis, Rooftop Mounts).