What Amped Innovation does

Amped Innovation is a public benefit corporation founded in 2016 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, with an African headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The company designs and manufactures high-performance off-grid solar appliances — including WOWSOLAR lighting kits (60/100/400 variants), WOWSOLAR TV and fan kits, the EasyFreeze solar refrigerator/freezer, the Gen 2 WOWSOLAR Controller, the PowerHub, and the forthcoming WOWSOLAR Generator — for households and small businesses earning less than ~$5 per day across more than 30 countries in Africa and Asia. Core technology is built in-house: proprietary charge controllers, battery management systems, and mechanical designs using LFP (LiFePO4) battery chemistry, with a Gen 2 controller that uses roughly half the circuit components of competitors while delivering about 2x the power handling. Products are designed for upgradeability (a single controller and battery backbone can scale from basic lighting to TV, fan, and refrigeration), tested at 3x rated power, and engineered for extreme heat, humidity, and dust common in off-grid African environments.

The company sells exclusively through a channel model: 100+ certified distribution partners operating 3,000+ trained sales and technical agents in 30+ countries, with flagship relationships spanning Liberian Energy Network and Rural Solar Inc (Liberia), Access & Move/SNV (Kenya, including refugee camps), and a Dr. Jomo Sono partnership targeting 1 million systems across South Africa over three years. End-customer pricing is quote-based and delivered via PAYGO financing (as low as $0.15/day to eventual ownership), integrated with the dominant PAYGO platforms — Angaza, Upya, Solaris Offgrid, and Paygee — and supported by a no-fee open-access PAYGO token-generation API for partner CRMs. By January 2025, the company reported over 240,000 solar home systems sold cumulatively, 1.1 million lives impacted, and approximately $2.7 million in revenue for 2021 (the only disclosed revenue figure).

Capital has come from a mix of impact and corporate venture investors — Engie, Schneider Electric (via SE Ventures), FINCA Ventures, Mandarine, AlphaMundi Group, Global Partnerships, EDFI ElectriFI ($6M African debt facility in 2021 and $1M Burundi revolving facility in 2023), Efficiency for Access R&D grants, USAID, Get.invest EU, and Fincaventures — plus a ~$175K Republic Reg CF equity crowdfund in 2023. As of January 2025, the company is privately held and actively operating, co-led by founders Andi Kleissner and Kurt Kuhlmann as Co-CEOs, with expansion priorities across agricultural productive-use equipment, new geographies (Burundi, South Africa, and North America/Asia for EasyFreeze), and the upcoming WOWSOLAR Generator launch.

Name

Amped Innovation

Legal name

Amped Innovation Inc.

Website

https://ampedinnovation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Amped Innovation designs and manufactures proprietary off-grid solar appliances — lighting kits, TVs, fans, freezers, and generators — with LFP batteries and upgradeable architecture, sold through 100+ certified distribution partners across 30+ African and Asian countries serving households and small businesses earning under $5 per day.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Off-grid Solar Appliances

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Small Electrical Appliance Manufacturing (335210), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341), Battery Manufacturing (33591)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640), Electric Housewares & Fans (3634), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Off-grid solar appliances
• Solar home systems
• PAYGO solar products
• Solar refrigerator freezers
• Solar lighting kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Solar Appliance Hardware Sales: Amped generates revenue through the sale of solar-powered appliances including WOWSOLAR lighting kits, TV and fan kits, EasyFreeze freezers, and solar generators. Products are sold through distribution partners with optional PAYGO financing for customers.
2. Distribution Partner Services: Revenue from certified distribution partners who purchase products in volume for resale and installation. Partners receive product training, technical support, PAYGO integration, and sales/marketing support as part of the relationship.
3. Crowdsourced Equity Funding: Amped raised funds through Republic's Reg CF offering to expand production. The company also raised Series A funding and crowdsourced SAFE funds for solar generator product launch.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Amped Innovation designs and manufactures high-performance off-grid solar appliances — including solar lighting kits, TV/fan kits, solar-powered freezers, and solar generators — under the WOWSOLAR and EasyFreeze brands. The company builds its own proprietary power electronics, charge controllers, and battery management systems, and distributes products through a certified partner network across 30+ countries in Africa and Asia, with optional Pay-as-you-Go (PAYGO) financing starting at $0.15 per day.

Product overview

Amped Innovation offers a portfolio of high-performance off-grid solar appliances and systems under the WOWSOLAR brand, designed for solar-rich environments with unreliable or no grid access. The product lineup includes: WOWSOLAR Lighting Kits (60, 100, 400) for solar lighting and phone charging with LFP batteries; WOWSOLAR TV and Fan Kits for entertainment and cooling; EasyFreeze solar refrigerator/freezer with proprietary ice battery technology; and the upcoming WOWSOLAR Generator for whole-home power. All products feature proprietary power electronics, Pay-As-You-Go financing compatibility, and upgradeable architecture. The Gen 2 WowSolar Controller serves as the core technology platform powering multiple product lines. Products are distributed through certified partners across 30+ countries in Africa and Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WOWSolar: High-performance off-grid solar lighting, TV, and fan kits featuring upgradeable power electronics and pay-as-you-go financing options.
• EasyFreeze
• WOWSolar Generator

Products and services

• WOWSOLAR 60 Kit Entry-level off-grid solar lighting and phone-charging kit with 3x 160-lumen lamps, a 6W solar panel, 20Whr LFP battery, 2 USB ports, and 2x 12V appliance ports. Pay-as-you-Go enabled. Designed for off-grid households and small businesses.
• WOWSOLAR 100 Kit Mid-tier solar lighting kit with 4x 160-lumen lamps, 10W solar panel, 20Whr LFP battery, and a Radio with Torch. Includes PAYGO financing.
• WOWSOLAR 400 Kit Premium solar lighting kit with 15W solar panel, 40Whr LFP battery, 4x 12V appliance ports, Radio with Torch, and Standalone Torch. Upgradeable to 55W panel and 180Whr battery.
• WOWSOLAR Fan Kit Standalone solar-powered 16-inch fan system with 4 overhead lamps, 80 or 160 Whr LFP battery, 40 or 50W solar panel, and 2 USB ports. PAYGO enabled.
• WOWSOLAR Fan & Television Kit Combined solar-powered 16-inch fan and 32-inch television system with 6 overhead lamps, 160 or 200 Whr LFP battery, and 50W solar panel. Features Pay-Go-Locked Television.
• WOWSOLAR Television Kit

Quantifiable outcome

• 280,000+ solar appliance kits sold
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UpyacoreTechnology or IntegrationPAYGO technology partner providing all-in-one distribution management system for customer management, payment collection, and business profitability improvement. Active in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
• AngazacoreTechnology or IntegrationPAYGO technology partner with 200+ partners in 50+ countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Provides PAYGO management software to help distribution businesses grow. Used by Liberian Energy Network (LEN).
• Solaris OffgridcoreTechnology or IntegrationPAYGO technology partner providing cloud IT infrastructure for distributors to manage operations while supporting product manufacturers in developing products that best meet market needs.
• Dr. Matsilela Ephraim 'Jomo' SonocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with legendary South African footballer, coach, and entrepreneur. Combined initiative aims to increase local jobs and solar power independence across South Africa, with a goal to deploy over 1 million solar systems in households and businesses across South Africa in three years.
• Liberian Energy Network (LEN)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term distribution partner in Liberia since 2021, reaching over 20,000 households. Participating in Liberia Solar Home System Results-based Financing Programme with goal to deploy 4,660+ solar-powered home systems. Uses Angaza PAYGO system.
• Rural Solar InccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading solar home system distributor in Liberia. Partnership aims to install 2,900 solar kits in first year and 6,900 kits over 24 months through Results-based Financing programs. Member of Liberian Off-Grid Task Force.
• Access & Move (A&M)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading promoter of energy access and route-to-market partner in Kenya. Partnership to deploy 15,000+ solar-powered home systems across Kenya in 2024, including refugee camps through SNV's Market-Based Energy Access II project.
• Energising Development (EnDev)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerImplementing partner for Liberia Solar Home System Results-based Financing Programme, jointly implemented with BRAC Liberia.
• BRAC LiberiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerImplementing partner for Liberia Solar Home System Results-based Financing Programme with funding from Netherlands Government DGIS, Rural and Renewable Energy Agency, and World Bank.
• SNVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerImplementing Market-Based Energy Access II project in refugee camps in Northern Kenya. Partnership with Amped and A&M aims to provide energy access to 60,000+ people in Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• d.light: d.light designs, manufactures, and distributes PAYGO-enabled solar home systems and appliances across Africa and Asia — directly comparable product line, customer segment (off-grid <$5/day households), and distribution model to Amped's WOWSOLAR kits.
• PowerGen Renewable Energy: PowerGen designs and distributes solar home systems and mini-grids across East Africa — same regional focus, same off-grid customer segment, and overlapping distribution-led GTM with Amped.
• Sun King (Greenlight Planet): Sun King sells PAYGO solar lanterns, home systems, and appliances to off-grid households across Africa and Asia — overlapping product range, pricing tiers, and customer demographic to Amped's WOWSOLAR offerings.
• BBOXX: BBOXX provides PAYGO solar home systems and batteries across Africa and Asia through distribution partners — same product category, same pay-as-you-go financing model, and same emerging-market distribution model as Amped.
• M-KOPA: M-KOPA is a leading PAYGO solar home system provider in East Africa serving off-grid households with lighting, phone charging, TV, and cooking appliances — directly overlapping with Amped's WOWSOLAR and EasyFreeze product portfolio and target customers.
• Zola Electric: Zola Electric offers PAYGO solar home systems and inverters across Sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on larger systems — directly competing for Amped's mid/high-tier off-grid customers and increasingly for the WOWSOLAR Generator segment.
• Fenix International (Engie subsidiary): Fenix International is a PAYGO solar home system provider in Uganda and broader Africa, acquired by Engie — same product category as Amped and notably backed by the same strategic investor (Engie) that backs Amped, indicating direct strategic overlap.

Emerging players

• BioLite: BioLite designs off-grid energy products including solar lighting and home systems for emerging markets with proprietary power electronics — comparable proprietary technology approach and mission-driven model, though broader product scope.
• Husk Power Systems: Husk Power Systems provides off-grid solar mini-grids and home systems across South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa — overlapping customer base in off-grid rural communities with Amped, though with a stronger mini-grid emphasis.

Broad incumbents

• Schneider Electric (Solar/Access to Energy): Schneider Electric is a strategic investor in Amped and also operates broader access-to-energy initiatives across emerging markets including solar home systems, inverters, and PAYGO — overlaps as both a corporate investor and broad incumbent in the same space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/amped_solar
• Facebookfacebook.com/ampedinnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/6651591
• Instagraminstagram.com/ampedinnovation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors5 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 Amped Innovation