What NextEnergy Group does

NextEnergy Group is a privately-held UK-based holding company founded in 2007 by Michael Bonte-Friedheim, operating a vertically-integrated solar+ infrastructure platform with approximately $5bn in assets under management, 3.5GW under management, 2GW+ in operation and 9GW+ under development across 31 countries. The Group operates through five wholly-owned subsidiaries: NextEnergy Capital, a regulated investment manager running institutional solar+ funds including the FTSE 250-listed NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF), NextEnergy III (NEIII), NextEnergy UK I (NEUKI) and NextPower V (NPV); WiseEnergy, a specialist solar asset operator providing development, construction and operational asset management across 1,600+ assets; Starlight, an ethical project developer of solar PV, wind, battery storage and green hydrogen projects; NextSTEP, a venture capital accelerator for sustainable technology startups with €3.2m deployed; and the NextEnergy Foundation, a charity donating at least 5% of Group net profits to renewable energy access projects in developing countries.

The Group's core technology is WiseEnergy's proprietary in-house asset management platform, which handles secure onboarding, data collection and performance analytics across the development, construction and operational phases of utility-scale solar plants. Revenue is generated through four streams: management fees and carried interest on the funds managed by NextEnergy Capital (the largest stream); B2B asset management and operations services billed on a per-asset or per-MW basis by WiseEnergy to third-party owners and developers; development fees and project sale margins earned by Starlight; and charitable grants funded by Group profit donations to the Foundation. The go-to-market motion is enterprise/relationship-led: institutional fundraising is conducted via direct mandates with pension funds, insurers, sovereign wealth funds and family offices, complemented by public market distribution through NESF on the London Stock Exchange.

Geographically, the Group is anchored in London (HQ), Milan (European hub), Madrid/Seville (Spain), and Hyderabad (India hub), with operating presence spanning Europe, the Americas, and select markets in Africa and Asia via the Foundation's grant programme. ESG credentials are central to the platform's positioning — NextEnergy Capital has held the UN PRI 5-star rating for two consecutive years, the Group has been carbon neutral since 2022, and it is a founding sponsor of the Solar Stewardship Initiative.

Name

NextEnergy Group

Legal name

NextEnergy Group

Website

https://nextenergygroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NextEnergy Group is a UK-based, vertically-integrated solar+ infrastructure platform managing ~$5bn AUM across development (Starlight), investment management (NextEnergy Capital), asset operations (WiseEnergy), and a sustainability VC (NextSTEP), serving institutional investors and utilities across 31 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Energy Investment Management

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Other Financial Vehicles (52599)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Energy Infrastructure (FSAAAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Asset Management & Owner’s Engineering (Lifecycle Strategy, Budgeting, Technical Due Diligence) (EUAMAGAJ), Development-Stage M&A & Portfolio Acquisition (Early-Stage/Ready-to-Build) (EUAMAAAF)

Keywords

• Solar asset management
• Renewable energy investment
• Solar project development
• Infrastructure fund management
• Clean energy asset services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Fees (NEC): NextEnergy Capital charges management fees and performance fees (carried interest) on the funds it manages. NEC manages five institutional funds (NESF, NEIII, NEUKI, NPV, NPV ESG) plus co-investment vehicles. Management fees are typically a percentage of committed or invested capital; performance fees on realised returns above hurdle rates.
2. Asset Management & Operations Services (WiseEnergy): WiseEnergy provides development, construction and long-term operational asset management services to Starlight, NEC and third-party solar plant owners worldwide. Revenue is earned through service contracts on a per-asset or per-MW basis, covering AM, construction services and technical advisory.
3. Renewable Energy Project Development (Starlight): Starlight develops solar PV, wind and battery storage projects on greenfield sites and monetises them through sale to investors/funds or by holding through to operation. Development fees and project margins are the primary revenue driver.
4. Foundation Grants (NextEnergy Foundation): NextEnergy Foundation is funded by NextEnergy Group donating at least 5% of its annual net profits. The Foundation awards grants to renewable energy access projects in developing countries. It has no operating costs — 100% of funds go to grants. Total grants awarded to date exceed £3.4 million across 100+ projects.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NextEnergy Group is a holding company operating a vertically integrated solar+ infrastructure platform through five subsidiaries: NextEnergy Capital manages institutional funds (NESF, NEIII, NEUKI, NPV) investing in utility-scale solar and battery storage; WiseEnergy delivers asset management, construction and operations services to solar plant owners globally using a proprietary technology platform; Starlight develops greenfield solar PV, wind, battery storage and green hydrogen projects; NextSTEP is a VC accelerator for sustainability startups; and NextEnergy Foundation is the charitable arm.

Product overview

NextEnergy Group operates as a diversified renewable energy platform with five integrated business units covering the full solar+ value chain. Starlight handles project development for solar PV, wind, and green hydrogen assets. NextEnergy Capital serves as the investment manager, overseeing multiple institutional funds investing in solar and battery storage infrastructure. WiseEnergy provides operational asset management, construction and O&M services for solar plants globally. NextSTEP is the venture capital accelerator supporting sustainability-focused startups. NextEnergy Foundation delivers philanthropic programs bringing clean energy access to underserved communities. The group was founded in 2007 and manages over $5 billion in assets across 31 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF): One of the largest listed solar investment companies, managed by NextEnergy Capital
• NextEnergy III (NEIII)
• NextEnergy UK I (NEUKI)
• NextPower V ESG (NPV)
• NextPower V
• WiseEnergy
• Starlight
• NextSTEP

Products and services

• NextEnergy Capital (Investment Management) A leading investment manager specialising in renewable energy infrastructure, managing institutional funds investing in solar and battery energy storage assets across multiple vehicles including the FTSE 250-listed NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF), NextEnergy III (NEIII), NextEnergy UK I (NEUKI), and NextPower V ESG (NPV). Targeted at institutional investors including pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds and family offices.
• WiseEnergy (Asset Management & Operations Services) A market-leading solar asset operator delivering asset management, construction and operations services for solar PV plants worldwide, supported by a proprietary in-house technology platform. Manages +3.5GW across +1,600 solar assets globally and serves third-party clients (developers, utilities, infrastructure funds, IPPs) in addition to the Group's own funds.
• Starlight (Renewable Energy Project Development) An ethical global developer of renewable energy assets, developing and managing solar PV, batteries, wind (on and offshore) and green hydrogen projects to accelerate the global energy transition. Operates through partnerships with local developers, landowners, authorities and communities in the UK, Italy, Greece, Romania, Canada and other markets.
• NextSTEP (Sustainability Startup Accelerator) The VC arm of NextEnergy Group and startup accelerator dedicated to the growth of innovative startups in environmental sustainability, focusing on clean mobility, sustainable urbanisation, energy transition, circular economy, and CO2 emissions reduction. Has deployed over €2M across 17 startups to date.
• NextEnergy Foundation (Charitable Program) The charitable arm of NextEnergy Group that combats poverty by promoting access to renewable energy solutions for vulnerable communities, supporting projects in education, health, water and livelihood improvement. Reached approximately 300,800 community members across 47 projects in 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• 896,775 t CO2e avoided by NEC's funds in 2025; 1,965 GWh clean energy generated
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NextEnergy Capital is sponsor and founding supporter of the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI), a sector-wide initiative to promote ethical and responsible solar supply chains. NEC's Head of ESG sits on the SSI Board, and an NEC ESG analyst is appointed to the SSI Technical Working Group on Traceability. SSI is a key outcome of the solar supply chain initiative that NEC helped to establish.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cero Generation: European solar developer and asset manager developing and operating utility-scale solar PV and storage — directly comparable to Starlight's development pipeline and NextEnergy Capital's project investment activities.
• Lightsource bp: Global utility-scale solar developer and asset manager with operations spanning development, financing, construction and O&M — directly comparable to NextEnergy Group's vertically integrated Starlight/NextEnergy Capital/WiseEnergy model.
• Bluefield Partners: UK solar-focused investment and asset manager operating across the solar value chain — closely comparable to NextEnergy Capital's fund management and WiseEnergy's operational asset management activities.
• Greencoat Capital: UK-based renewable infrastructure investment manager with listed wind and solar funds — competes directly for institutional capital and operates an overlapping solar+ fund-of-funds strategy.
• Enfinity Global: Global renewable energy IPP and asset manager focused on solar and storage across US, Europe, and Asia — overlaps with NextEnergy Capital's OECD solar+ fund strategy and Starlight's geographic footprint.
• Foresight Group (Foresight Solar Fund): UK-listed solar infrastructure fund manager (FSFL on LSE) with parallel structure to NextEnergy Capital's NESF — same investor base, same solar+ thesis, same London-headquartered fund management model.
• Cubico Sustainable Investments: Global renewable energy infrastructure investor owned by OTPP and PSP Investments — competes for institutional capital and solar+ assets in similar OECD markets targeted by NextPower V.

Broad incumbents

• EDF Renewables: Subsidiary of EDF with global utility-scale solar, wind, and storage development and asset management — comparable to NextEnergy Group's vertically integrated renewable infrastructure model at significantly larger scale.
• Brookfield Renewable Partners: One of the world's largest publicly listed renewable energy platforms with hydropower, wind, solar and storage assets — competes for institutional capital and renewable infrastructure deals at much larger scale.
• Statkraft: State-owned Norwegian hydropower-major renewable energy group with growing solar and wind IPP operations — competes for European solar+ assets and institutional partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nextenergy-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 NextEnergy Group