What Azuri Technologies does

Azuri Technologies, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Cambridge, UK, is a pioneer of pay-as-you-go (PayGo) solar home systems for off-grid households across sub-Saharan Africa. The company has deployed over 200,000 systems across 12 countries, with core operating markets in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, supported by regional headquarters in Nairobi and Lagos. Its product portfolio spans the Azuri Quad 15W entry-level lighting system, the AzuriTV/TV400 solar-powered television systems, and the Azuri GrowFast solar irrigation system — all embedded with the proprietary HomeSmart™ machine-learning technology that learns a customer's usage pattern and adapts energy output to climatic conditions to ensure 'light all night'.

The commercial model is a PayGo subscription with no upfront cost: customers make small weekly or monthly instalments via mobile money over 18-30 months, after which they own the system and all generated energy is free. Azuri reaches customers through a partner-led distribution model (e.g., Raj Ushanga House in Kenya, Kazang in Zambia) and a field sales agent network, with bundled revenue streams from DStv/MultiChoice satellite content, Unilever Sunlight FMCG bundles, and APA Insurance HospiCash micro-insurance. A 2017 receivables financing program with the EU's ElectriFI provides debt secured against forward customer revenues. In January 2022, the company transferred servicing of its 50,000 active Kenyan customers and its sales team to Solar Panda under a servicing agreement, while continuing direct operations in the remaining four core African markets.

Azuri has raised approximately $53M across disclosed funding events, including a $26M equity round led by Marubeni Corporation in June 2019, and has been recognized on the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 (2019, 2020), the FT1000 Europe's Fastest Growing Companies list (2020, 2021) and the Global Cleantech 100 (2020).

Name

Azuri Technologies

Legal name

Azuri Technologies Ltd

Website

https://azuri-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Azuri Technologies provides pay-as-you-go solar home systems with embedded HomeSmart™ machine-learning energy management to off-grid households across sub-Saharan Africa, distributed via local partners in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and Tanzania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Off-Grid Solar Home Systems

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA)

Keywords

• Pay-as-you-go solar
• Off-grid solar systems
• Solar home systems
• Solar irrigation systems
• Mobile payment solar

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pay-as-you-go solar home system subscriptions: Core recurring revenue stream: customers pay small weekly or monthly instalments (no upfront cost) for solar home systems including Quad lighting system or AzuriTV packages. Once fully paid (typically 18-30 months), the system is owned by the household and all power generated is free to them. Customers progress along a 'services spiral' from entry-level lighting products to larger TV systems.
2. Hardware sales (solar panels, batteries, TVs, appliances): One-time hardware component embedded in PayGo contracts. Includes solar panels, LFP batteries, LED lights, satellite TV units, DStv decoders, rechargeable radios/torches, and GrowFast irrigation pumps. DStv decoders bundled with Azuri TV400 system.
3. Service fees / servicing agreements: Servicing agreement revenue from partners managing Azuri's customer base (e.g., Solar Panda servicing 50,000 active customers in Kenya from January 2022). Generates ongoing service management fees.
4. Partnership / content bundling revenue (DStv/MultiChoice): Bundled content partnership with MultiChoice/DStv brings pay TV subscription revenue to off-grid customers. DStv package subscriptions (Access KES 1,000, Family 1,380, Compact 2,650, Compact Plus 4,800, Premium 7,900 per month) attach to Azuri hardware.
5. Receivables-backed debt financing: Receivables financing program launched in 2017 with EU's ElectriFI where debt is secured against forward customer revenues. Allows commercial investors to finance growth via customer receivables.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Azuri Technologies designs, manufactures, and distributes pay-as-you-go (PayGo) solar home systems to off-grid households across sub-Saharan Africa, including lighting packages, solar-powered TVs, and solar irrigation systems. Customers pay a small deposit and then make frequent top-ups via mobile money to unlock continued energy service. The company also bundles micro-insurance and partners with last-mile distributors to extend product reach to rural communities.

Product overview

Azuri Technologies offers a pay-as-you-go (PayGo) solar home system platform for off-grid households across sub-Saharan Africa, structured as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering is a complete solar home system — available as the Azuri Quad 15W lighting system or the AzuriTV/TV400 solar-powered TV system — sold on a PayGo financing model with weekly or monthly instalments via mobile money, with all energy free once the system is paid for. Embedded within every system is Azuri's proprietary Azuri HomeSmart™ machine-learning technology (for energy optimization) and Azuri Toughscreen™ (for durability). Supplementary products and services include the Azuri GrowFast solar irrigation system (an add-on module for smallholder farmers), Azuri HospiCash micro-insurance (bundled with the PayGo top-up via APA Insurance), and bundled offerings such as DStv/Zuku satellite TV content and Unilever Sunlight washing powder. The Brighter Lives Initiative is a non-product program supporting women in the solar sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Azuri Quad: Entry-level pay-as-you-go solar home system providing complete household lighting, rechargeable radio and torch, and mobile phone charging.
• AzuriTV
• Azuri GrowFast
• Azuri HospiCash

Products and services

• Azuri Quad 15W Solar Home System
• AzuriTV 24-inch and 32-inch Solar-Powered TVs
• Azuri TV400 Solar Home System
• Azuri GrowFast Solar Irrigation System
• Azuri HospiCash Micro-Insurance

Quantifiable outcome

• USD 1.99 million average energy savings per 10,000 units installed over solar product lifetime
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Solar PandaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 January 2022Servicing agreement announced January 18, 2022 for Solar Panda to service Azuri's 50,000 active customers in Kenya currently paying for financed solar home systems. Azuri's extensive team of sales agents transitioned to Solar Panda. The deal increased the number of active customers under management by Solar Panda by 50% and now serves 180,000 homes across Kenya via 33 shops.
• MultiChoice Kenya (DStv)flagshipTechnology or Integration · 24 March 2021Partnership announced March 24, 2021 to bring DStv content to off-grid households in Kenya. The partnership bundles Azuri's TV400 product (32" solar powered TV and household energy solution) with the DStv HD decoder to offer customers international entertainment, news, documentaries, and educational content including Premier League.
• Unilever (Sunlight brand)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Co-marketing agreement launched in 2018 — first example of a pay-as-you-go business partnering with a global FMCG brand to accelerate distribution of Azuri's life-changing solar products to off-grid rural customers. Azuri and Unilever partnership offers free Sunlight washing powder with every Azuri Quad solar home system. Sunlight Brand expanded the partnership as part of Azuri's Brighter Lives Initiative in 2020.
• APA Insurance (HospiCash)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Kenya to offer Azuri HospiCash — an income cover and life insurance product exclusively designed for off-grid customers, with a small premium added to their weekly pay-as-you-go system top-up.
• KazangcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner in Zambia offering solar-based solutions like light, TV, and phone charging to address 15-hour power outages that can occur due to insufficient investment into Zambia's energy infrastructure.
• Raj Ushanga HouseflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKenyan distribution partner for Azuri. Alice Nduku Wanza was recruited by Raj Ushanga House to work in the technical centre, later transferring to Azuri's logistics and technical department.
• Imperial College London (Dr Sunday Popo-Ola)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAzuri joined forces with Imperial College London's Dr Sunday Popo-Ola to deliver the 5-day 'Creative Futures Nigeria' workshop in Kwara State, Nigeria in August 2019. The workshop introduces school students aged 9-16 to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
• Kwapa Farmers AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFarmer association in Kwapa village, Uganda that promoted Azuri's GrowFast solar irrigation system to its members. Patrick Padde, a member, was one of the first recipients and agreed to demonstrate the system to other farmers.
• GOGLA (Global Off-Grid Lighting Association)coreOthersAzuri is an active member of GOGLA, the global association for the off-grid solar energy industry. Azuri went above and beyond GOGLA's minimum Consumer Protection Principles. Azuri was part of the GOGLA Impact Working Group that compiled Version 3.0 of standardised impact metrics for the off-grid industry.
• British High Commission (Kenya)coreOthersHosted Azuri's inaugural Women in Solar event at the British High Commission in February 2020 to launch the Brighter Lives Initiative. British High Commissioner Jane Marriott has publicly endorsed Azuri's gender equality and clean energy work.
• Lighting Global (World Bank / IFC)coreOthersEach Azuri product meets the high Quality Standards of Lighting Global, an initiative of the World Bank and IFC.
• Office of the Vice President of Nigeria (Beyond the Grid)coreOthersRural electrification intervention 'Beyond the Grid' under which Azuri solar home systems have been installed in over 20,000 off-grid households in 12 Northern states of Nigeria.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BBOXX: UK-based PayGo solar company deploying solar home systems across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia via distribution partners and mobile-money financing. Closely comparable business model and geographic overlap with Azuri.
• M-KOPA: Kenya-based pay-as-you-go solar home system provider serving off-grid households across East Africa with mobile-money-enabled financing. Closest direct competitor to Azuri's Quad and AzuriTV products in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
• Fenix International (ENGIE Energy Access): PayGo solar home system provider originally focused on Uganda and Zambia, now part of ENGIE. Directly competes with Azuri in Uganda and Zambia using mobile-money-enabled solar financing.
• Solar Panda: Canadian/Kenya-based PayGo solar home system company that assumed servicing of Azuri's 50,000 active Kenyan customers and absorbed its Kenyan sales agents in January 2022. Direct peer that is now also a former Azuri channel partner.
• Zola Electric (formerly Off Grid Electric): PayGo solar provider operating across Tanzania and other African markets with bundled solar home systems. Direct competitor in Azuri's Tanzania territory using comparable mobile-money financing model.
• Greenlight Planet (Sun King): Global off-grid solar company selling pay-as-you-go solar home systems and lanterns across Africa and Asia. Comparable product portfolio (Sun King/PayGo) and overlapping distribution with Azuri in multiple African markets.
• d.light: Global pay-as-you-go solar company with strong East and West Africa presence offering solar home systems, lanterns and appliances to off-grid households. Direct competitor across multiple African markets where Azuri operates.

Emerging players

• Husk Power Systems: Off-grid renewable energy company deploying solar mini-grids and distributed solar systems across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Adjacent business model targeting similar off-grid customer segments.
• BioLite: Off-grid energy company offering solar-powered home systems, lanterns and clean cookstoves primarily in East Africa and South Asia. Comparable product categories and off-grid customer base though more diversified product mix.
• Equatorial Power: Uganda-based off-grid solar mini-grid and PayGo provider serving rural East African communities. Comparable geographic focus (Uganda) and overlapping off-grid household customer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/azuri_tech
• Facebookfacebook.com/AzuriTechnologies

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Azuri Technologies