Sawa Energy
Sawa Energy is a Canada-headquartered solar energy services company that finances, builds, owns, and operates on-site solar PV and battery storage systems for commercial and industrial customers in East Africa (primarily Uganda and Rwanda), selling electricity at tariffs 10-30% below utility rates under long-term agreements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sawa Energy does
Sawa Energy is a Canada-incorporated solar energy services company that finances, builds, owns, and operates on-site solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage systems for commercial and industrial customers in East Africa. Headquartered in Montreal with operational hubs in Kampala (Uganda) and Kigali (Rwanda), plus an Amsterdam office, the company sells electricity to clients under multi-year power purchase agreements of up to 35 years at tariffs set 10-30% below prevailing utility rates, absorbing all upfront capital, installation, and maintenance costs.
The company's customer base spans at least five distinct C&I verticals, including telecommunications (MTN), banking (I&M Bank), data centers (DMC II), commercial real estate (Norrsken), and non-profit/development (DREAMS), with 90+ completed deployments and 13 MW of installed capacity reported across East Africa. Sawa operates a direct enterprise field sales model combining initial consultation calls, on-site energy assessments by specialists, and custom PPA quotes, supported by an engineering partner network comprising East African Power, SolarNow, Equator Solar Group, and All Intrade Limited.
Sawa has raised approximately $12.9 million in disclosed funding to date, comprising an undisclosed Renew Capital investment (January 2024), a EUR 2.5 million (~USD 2.9 million) seed equity round from ElectriFI/EDFI (late 2025), and a $10 million debt facility jointly provided by Oikocredit and the Global Climate Partnership Fund (April 2026). The debt facility is earmarked for 35 MW of new capacity across roughly 250 C&I projects over 36 months, supporting a stated target of becoming the largest private solar provider in East Africa with 50 MW deployed and 1,000 clients served by 2030.
Sawa Energy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sawa Energy
- Legal name
- Sawa Energy
- Website
- https://sawaenergy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sawa Energy is a Canada-headquartered solar energy services company that finances, builds, owns, and operates on-site solar PV and battery storage systems for commercial and industrial customers in East Africa (primarily Uganda and Rwanda), selling electricity at tariffs 10-30% below utility rates under long-term agreements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sawa Energy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Solar Energy Services
- NAICS
- Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)
- SIC
- Electric Services (4911), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C&I Renewable Supply & Green Tariffs (Bundled RE, Sleeves, Utility Green Tariffs) (EUAGACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Renewable Energy Asset Management (Solar/Wind/Hydro/Geothermal) (EUAEAMAB), Utility-Scale BESS EPC & Integration (EUAEAEAA)
Keywords
Where Sawa Energy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Sawa Energy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Solar Power Generation Services: Sawa Energy operates a model where they build, own, and operate on-site solar systems for commercial and industrial clients. Customers pay for electricity generated at rates 10-30% lower than utility prices, with no upfront capital costs required. The company offers fully financed solar and battery solutions, generating recurring revenue from long-term power purchase agreements with clients across 250+ C&I projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Custom quote-based pricing for commercial and industrial solar solutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Sawa Energy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sawa Energy builds, owns, and operates on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with battery energy storage for commercial and industrial (C&I) clients in East Africa. Customers receive electricity at tariffs 10–30% below utility rates with zero upfront capital costs under long-term power purchase agreements of up to 35 years. The company handles full project lifecycle including assessment, installation, operation, and maintenance across more than 90 deployed sites totaling 13 MW of capacity.
Product overview
Sawa Energy operates as a solar energy service provider offering fully financed, on-site solar PV and battery energy storage solutions to commercial and industrial (C&I) clients in East Africa (Uganda, Rwanda, and beyond). The company eliminates upfront costs for clients and provides energy at rates 10–30% below grid prices. Clients include data centres, telecommunications companies, banks, commercial centres, schools, hospitals, and non-profits. Sawa Energy builds, owns, and operates the solar systems, handling installation, operation, and maintenance, with tariff agreements extending up to 35 years. The company has completed over 90 deployments totalling 13 MW of energy projects. The offering functions as a single integrated service model (not a modular software product), with no distinct named product lines or sub-modules identified in the available source material.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- On-Site Solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Service (Solar Power Purchase Agreement) Sawa Energy builds, owns, and operates on-site solar photovoltaic systems integrated with battery energy storage for commercial and industrial clients in East Africa (Uganda, Rwanda, and beyond). Customers pay for electricity generated at tariffs 10-30% below utility rates with zero upfront capital costs under long-term power purchase agreements of up to 35 years. The company handles full lifecycle including design, installation, operation, and maintenance.
Quantifiable outcome
- Customers pay 10-30% less for electricity compared to utility rates
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sawa Energy
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sawa Energy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Sawa Energy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- East African PowercoreEngineering partner with experience building solar systems. East African Power is a solar developer operating in East Africa with significant project experience.
- SolarNowcoreOn-the-ground engineering partner for solar system installations in East Africa with established presence and experience in the region.
- Equator Solar GroupminorOn-the-ground engineering partner providing solar installation services and technical expertise.
- All Intrade LimitedminorEngineering partner providing on-the-ground solar installation and construction services.
- PwC RwandaminorProfessional services firm providing consulting and advisory services including financial and business advisory support.
- Tugliq EnergyminorEnergy solutions partner with expertise in power generation and sustainable energy deployment.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sawa Energy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- M-KOPA: Leading African pay-as-you-go solar provider operating in Kenya, Uganda, and other East African markets. Overlaps on financing-led distributed solar in the same geographies but is primarily residential-focused.
- Zola Electric: Africa-focused distributed solar and storage provider with hybrid smart-home systems. Partial overlap on solar-plus-storage financing model for commercial and residential customers in East Africa.
- Sun King (Greenlight Planet): Large-scale distributed solar provider across Africa and Asia. Comparable in asset-financed distributed solar business model in East Africa, though weighted toward off-grid residential products.
- d.light: Global pay-as-you-go solar distributor with significant East Africa presence. Partial overlap on distributed solar financing model though its primary focus is residential rather than C&I customers.
Direct peers
- PowerGen Renewable Energy: Pan-African C&I solar developer and operator with a build-own-operate model serving commercial and industrial customers in East Africa. Directly comparable in customer segment, geography, and PPA-based revenue model.
- CrossBoundary Energy: Africa-focused C&I renewable energy IPP that finances, builds, and operates distributed solar and hybrid projects for commercial customers. Comparable on asset-based model, target segment, and PPA structure across African markets.
- Bboxx: UK-headquartered distributed solar provider operating across Africa with pay-as-you-go and C&I offerings. Sawa's Head of Finance previously served as Head of Africa Finance Operations at Bboxx, and both companies pursue asset-based solar models in East African markets.
- SolarNow: East African solar provider offering financed solar systems to businesses and households. Functions as both an engineering partner to Sawa and a competitor in Uganda and Kenya C&I and SMB solar markets.
- East African Power: East Africa-based solar developer and engineering partner of Sawa. Operates a 500 MW project pipeline in the region and shares overlapping geography, C&I customer base, and engineering capabilities.
Broad incumbents
- ENGIE Energy Access: Subsidiary of global utility ENGIE focused on decentralized energy solutions across Africa. Broader portfolio and balance sheet provide overlapping C&I and distributed generation capabilities in East Africa.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sawa Energy social profiles
Digital presenceSawa Energy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sawa Energy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Sawa Energy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sawa Energy 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 Sawa Energy
What does Sawa Energy do?
Sawa Energy builds, owns, and operates on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with battery energy storage for commercial and industrial (C&I) clients in East Africa. Customers receive electricity at tariffs 10–30% below utility rates with zero upfront capital costs under long-term power purchase agreements of up to 35 years. The company handles full project lifecycle including assessment, installation, operation, and maintenance across more than 90 deployed sites totaling 13 MW of capacity.
Is Sawa Energy a public or private company?
Sawa Energy is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Sawa Energy founded?
Sawa Energy was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sawa Energy based?
Sawa Energy is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Sawa Energy make money?
One revenue line is on record: solar Power Generation Services.
Who are Sawa Energy's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are M-KOPA, Zola Electric, Sun King (Greenlight Planet) and d.light. Direct peers are PowerGen Renewable Energy, CrossBoundary Energy, Bboxx, SolarNow and East African Power. ENGIE Energy Access is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Sawa Energy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sawa Energy.
What industry is Sawa Energy in?
Sawa Energy's product category is Commercial Solar Energy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAGACAE, C&I Renewable Supply & Green Tariffs (Bundled RE, Sleeves, Utility Green Tariffs), with a secondary code of EUAEAMAB, Renewable Energy Asset Management (Solar/Wind/Hydro/Geothermal). Its NAICS code is 221114 and its SIC code is 4911.