Solarise Africa

What Solarise Africa does

Solarise Africa is a pan-African Energy-as-a-Service company that finances, installs, and operates decentralized solar PV and hybrid renewable energy systems for commercial, industrial, and SME customers. Founded in 2016–2017 and headquartered in Kenya with operations across Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, and Ghana, the company serves customers ranging from large enterprises (notably Volvo Trucks' manufacturing plant in Durban and Parklands Estate) to small and medium enterprises seeking to reduce energy costs and meet sustainability targets without significant upfront capital outlays.

The company's core product is a distributed solar PV and hybrid renewable energy system deployed at customer sites, financed and operated by Solarise under an energy leasing model. Rather than selling equipment, Solarise retains ownership of the assets and recovers its investment through recurring lease payments from customers, supplemented by professional services revenue from system design, installation, and ongoing maintenance. This Energy-as-a-Service structure removes the upfront capital barrier that typically blocks renewable energy adoption by African businesses, particularly SMEs, while the multi-country footprint allows the company to standardize its offering across heterogeneous regulatory and grid environments.

Solarise Africa operates a direct enterprise sales motion targeting C&I clients through field sales teams, supported by relationships with impact investors and development finance institutions. The company has raised approximately $57.5 million to date, comprising a $10 million Series B equity round in 2020 and a series of debt-financed project capital raises, including $5.9 million from Trine (2021), a $33.4 million multi-country facility led by the Facility for Energy Inclusion alongside Oikocredit, AfricaGoGreen Fund, and Lion's Head (2022), $3 million from EDFI ElectriFI (2022), R160 million (~$8.9 million) from Mergence Investment Managers (2024), and an additional $3.4 million from Mergence (2025). Leadership comprises co-founders Jan Albert Valk (CEO), Patrik Huber (Director), and Sakkie Van Wijk (COO), with Jonathan Cohen as Director and Head of Finance.

Name

Solarise Africa

Legal name

Solarise Africa

Website

https://solariseafrica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Solarise Africa is a pan-African Energy-as-a-Service company that finances, installs, and operates decentralized solar PV and hybrid renewable energy systems for commercial, industrial, and SME customers across six African countries through an energy leasing model that eliminates upfront capital costs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Renewable Energy Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Financing, Leasing & Ownership Platforms (Tax Equity, PPA, Securitization) (EUAMABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)

Keywords

• Commercial solar energy
• Energy-as-a-service
• Decentralized renewable energy
• Solar leasing solutions
• Industrial solar installations

Headquarters

HQ city

Ebène

HQ country

Mauritius

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Energy Leasing: Solarise Africa generates revenue through an energy leasing model where businesses pay for solar energy solutions over time rather than making large upfront capital investments. This enables companies to access renewable energy while spreading costs.
2. Solar Installation Services: Revenue is generated from designing, installing, and maintaining solar power systems for commercial and industrial clients across Africa.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Solarise Africa designs, finances, installs, and maintains decentralized solar PV and hybrid renewable energy systems for commercial and industrial businesses across Africa. Customers access solar power through an Energy-as-a-Service leasing model, avoiding large upfront capital investments while reducing energy costs and meeting sustainability goals. The company operates pan-African with active deployments in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, and Ghana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Funded solar projects across South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Rwanda with first disbursement supporting five solar projects

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PowerGen Renewable Energy: East African C&I-focused renewable energy company offering solar PV and hybrid systems to commercial clients via project finance and PPA structures. Directly comparable business model and customer segment to Solarise Africa.
• Zola Electric: Pan-African distributed solar provider offering solar-plus-storage systems to businesses and households with pay-as-you-go financing. Closely comparable in target market, geography, and asset-financing business model.
• BBOXX: UK-based distributed solar and PAYG energy company operating across multiple African countries. Comparable in financing-driven solar model and African geographic focus, though more weighted to residential/SME than pure C&I.
• Sun King (Greenlight Planet): Pay-as-you-go solar provider serving households and small businesses across Africa and Asia. Comparable in the asset-financing/EaaS approach to energy access in emerging markets.
• d.light: Global solar energy company with significant African footprint distributing PAYG solar home systems and commercial solar solutions. Comparable in financing-driven distribution and emerging-markets customer base.
• M-KOPA: Kenya-headquartered PAYG solar and smartphone financing company serving underbanked African customers. Comparable in African energy access focus and lease-based financing model, though more consumer-oriented.

Emerging players

• Distributed Energy: Africa-focused C&I clean energy provider deploying solar and storage to commercial customers. Comparable in target segment and asset-financing approach but operates in fewer geographies.
• BioLite: Clean energy company serving off-grid households and SMEs in Africa and Asia with solar and clean cooking solutions. Comparable in distributed solar and energy access mission.

Broad incumbents

• ENGIE Energy Access: Subsidiary of global utility ENGIE focused on off-grid and decentralized energy solutions across Africa. Comparable in distributed solar and energy-as-a-service, but backed by a much larger parent and broader portfolio.
• Schneider Electric: Global energy management and automation major with a strong African commercial solar and microgrid practice. Comparable in serving C&I customers with solar and energy management solutions, though as a broad incumbent rather than an EaaS specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors10 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 Solarise Africa