Oolu
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersOuakam, Senegal
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Oolu firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Oolu
- Legal name
- Oolu Burkina Faso
- Website
- https://oolusolar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Oolu industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Off-grid solar energy services
- NAICS
- Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)
- SIC
- Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA), Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ), Distributed & Commercial Renewable O&M (Rooftop Solar, C&I Wind, Small Hydro) (EUAMAGAB), Solar Inverters, Power Electronics & MLPE (String/Central Inverters, Optimizers, Microinverters) (EUAMABAE)
Keywords
Where Oolu is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ouakam
- HQ country
- Senegal
- HQ region
- Africa
Markets served
Oolu business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Oolu product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Oolu distributes and finances distributed renewable energy products—primarily solar home systems, productive use of energy appliances, hybrid inverters, mini-grids, and commercial and industrial solar solutions—to off-grid households and small businesses across West and East Africa. Customers access these offerings through pay-as-you-go subscription financing rather than upfront purchase, with payments collected via mobile money.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Solar Home Systems (SHS) Modular solar home systems distributed to off-grid households and small businesses in West and East Africa to provide lighting, phone charging, and basic appliance power, typically financed via pay-as-you-go subscription.
- Productive Use of Energy (PUE) Solar-powered productive appliances and energy solutions for off-grid households and micro-entrepreneurs to support income-generating activities such as agro-processing, refrigeration, and small commercial operations.
- Hybrid Inverters Hybrid inverter systems that combine solar generation with battery storage and grid or generator backup, enabling reliable off-grid and weak-grid power supply for larger residential and small commercial loads.
- Mini-Grids Localized distributed mini-grid installations that provide centralized solar-generated electricity to rural villages and communities without grid access, serving multiple households and businesses.
- Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Solar Solutions Larger-scale solar energy systems designed for commercial and industrial off-grid customers, providing reliable power for business operations and productive use cases beyond household-level needs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 155,000+ people and 560 businesses to gain energy access through 28,000 new subscriptions over 4 years
Companies that use Oolu
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Oolu technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Oolu partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Oolu competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- M-KOPA: Largest PAYGO solar home systems operator in Africa, offering subscription-based SHS to off-grid households. Closely comparable business model, target customer, and product category as Oolu, though M-KOPA operates at significantly greater scale across East and West Africa.
- d.light: Global PAYGO solar company distributing solar home systems and lanterns across Africa and Asia. Directly competes with Oolu in the off-grid SHS subscription category serving low-income households.
- BBOXX: UK-based PAYGO solar provider with extensive operations across sub-Saharan Africa, offering solar home systems on subscription. Comparable product, financing structure, and rural customer base as Oolu.
- Sun King (Greenlight Planet): One of the largest distributors of solar home systems in Africa and Asia via PAYGO. Directly comparable subscription-based SHS offering targeting off-grid households, with overlapping customer segments in West Africa.
- Ignite Energy Access: Pan-African distributed renewable energy company operating across 11+ countries including Burkina Faso, offering PAYGO solar home systems, productive use of energy, and hybrid systems. Closely comparable model and overlapping West African footprint with Oolu.
- Zola Electric: PAYGO solar company historically focused on Tanzania and West Africa, offering solar home systems and hybrid solutions. Comparable subscription-based model serving similar off-grid customer base.
Emerging players
- Fenix International (ENGIE): PAYGO solar provider (acquired by ENGIE) operating in Uganda and expanding across Africa. Comparable PAYGO SHS subscription model serving rural off-grid customers, though now operating within a larger utility group.
- Solar Panda: PAYGO solar company operating in Kenya and East Africa with SHS subscriptions for off-grid households. Comparable business model with a more limited geographic footprint than Oolu's West Africa focus.
- Lumeter (formerly Off Grid Electric): PAYGO solar company serving off-grid customers in Tanzania and West Africa with solar home system subscriptions. Directly comparable product offering and customer base.
Broad incumbents
- ENGIE Energy Access: Incumbent energy access arm of global utility ENGIE, distributing PAYGO solar and clean cooking solutions across Africa. Overlapping SHS offerings but operating as part of a much broader energy services portfolio.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Oolu social profiles
Digital presenceOolu financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Oolu leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Oolu funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Oolu 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 Oolu
What does Oolu do?
Oolu distributes and finances distributed renewable energy products—primarily solar home systems, productive use of energy appliances, hybrid inverters, mini-grids, and commercial and industrial solar solutions—to off-grid households and small businesses across West and East Africa. Customers access these offerings through pay-as-you-go subscription financing rather than upfront purchase, with payments collected via mobile money.
Is Oolu a public or private company?
Oolu is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Oolu founded?
Oolu was founded in 2015. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Oolu based?
Oolu is headquartered in Ouakam, Senegal, in the Africa region.
Who are Oolu's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are M-KOPA, d.light, BBOXX, Sun King (Greenlight Planet), Ignite Energy Access and Zola Electric. Emerging players are Fenix International (ENGIE), Solar Panda and Lumeter (formerly Off Grid Electric). ENGIE Energy Access is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Oolu have an API?
No public API is recorded for Oolu.
What industry is Oolu in?
Oolu's product category is Off-grid solar energy services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMAJAD, Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind, with a secondary code of EUAMAJAA, Community Solar Development & Subscription Management. Its NAICS code is 221114 and its SIC code is 4991.