Seeder
Seeder Clean Energy is a Shanghai-based renewable energy advisory firm that helps multinational corporations with factories in China procure rooftop solar via on-site PPAs, feasibility studies, off-site RECs, and supply chain group procurement, using a Solar Calculator tool and a curated network of PV manufacturers, EPCs, and financing partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersShanghai, China
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Seeder does
Seeder Clean Energy (legally 曬得（上海）建筑工程咨询有限公司, Xide (Shanghai) Construction Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd.) is a Shanghai-based renewable energy advisory and project facilitation firm founded in 2012 by Alex Shoer and Johnny Browaeys. The company targets multinational corporations with factories and warehouses in China, helping them procure rooftop solar through on-site PPA financing, self-investment, off-site renewable energy certificates (RECs), and portfolio-level supply chain strategies. Seeder's core technology is the Solar Calculator, a web-based tool that estimates system size, annual savings, payback period, IRR, and carbon reduction based on rooftop area, province, electricity rate, and monthly bill, complemented by a proprietary 80-point PV developer assessment framework used to screen and select installation partners on behalf of clients.
The company earns revenue through three streams: advisory and consulting fees for feasibility studies and technical assessments (including drone surveys, PV system design, and financial return modeling), transaction fees for facilitating Power Purchase Agreements between building owners and third-party financing and installation partners, and transaction fees for group procurement engagements that aggregate multiple corporate suppliers to negotiate volume pricing with PV developers. Seeder operates with a small team (1-10 employees) and a curated partner ecosystem of five top-tier PV panel manufacturers, multiple EPCs with over 5 GW of combined installation experience, and more than $430 million in project capital partners, anchored by a financial partnership with Blue Sky Alternative Finance that provides 100% of PPA project capital. The company is privately held, incorporated in Shanghai, and has raised approximately $938K across early angel and pre-seed rounds between 2013 and 2015.
Seeder's go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, relying on direct enterprise engagement, feasibility studies, the Solar Calculator as a mid-funnel qualification tool, and industry events such as ULI rooftop solar discussions in Shanghai. Its primary customer segments are multinational corporations with factories in China (including RE100 and Science-Based Targets signatories), corporate supply chain groups seeking aggregated procurement, and C&I building owners with rooftops exceeding 2,000 square meters. As of 2016, Seeder had deployed approximately 2 MW of rooftop solar with a 46 MW pipeline spread across 29 projects in 6 Chinese provinces; public activity on the company's blog extends through August 2018, after which more recent operational signals are not present in the available source material.
Seeder firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Seeder
- Legal name
- 曦得（上海）建筑工程咨询有限公司
- Website
- https://seederenergy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Seeder Clean Energy is a Shanghai-based renewable energy advisory firm that helps multinational corporations with factories in China procure rooftop solar via on-site PPAs, feasibility studies, off-site RECs, and supply chain group procurement, using a Solar Calculator tool and a curated network of PV manufacturers, EPCs, and financing partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Seeder industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rooftop Solar Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)
- SIC
- Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solar Project Development & IPP (Utility-Scale & Rooftop) (EUAMABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ), Resource Assessment & Yield Optimization (Solar/Wind/Hydro/Geo Studies, Met Masts, GIS) (EUAMAAAH)
Keywords
Where Seeder is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shanghai
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Seeder business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Advisory and Consulting Fees: Seeder charges fees for feasibility studies, technical assessments, and strategic renewable energy advisory services to corporations seeking energy procurement solutions in China.
- Group Procurement Facilitation: Seeder facilitates group procurement of solar projects for supply chain groups, identifying best PV developers and negotiating contracts on behalf of multiple suppliers to achieve group purchase pricing.
- PPA Facilitation: Seeder facilitates Power Purchase Agreements between building owners and third-party financing/installation partners, earning transaction fees for matching supply and demand in the rooftop solar market.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Self-Investment model with upfront payment for full system ownership |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | PPA/Third-party financing with zero upfront cost |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Seeder product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Seeder Clean Energy is a renewable energy advisory and rooftop solar financing intermediary that helps multinational corporations with factories in China procure on-site and off-site clean power. It conducts feasibility studies, screens and matches building owners with vetted PV developers and financing partners via its proprietary 80-Point Assessment Framework, and facilitates Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and self-investment solar installations on commercial and industrial rooftops. The company also runs a web-based Solar Calculator tool for savings and IRR estimation and offers group procurement services for corporate supply chains.
Product overview
Seeder is a strategic renewable energy advisory company offering a comprehensive suite of services for corporations seeking rooftop solar procurement in China. The core offering centers on the Seeder Solar Calculator, an online financial estimation tool that helps companies quickly assess solar investment viability. The service portfolio includes On-site Solar (PPA-based rooftop installations), Off-site Clean Power Purchase & RECs, Portfolio/Supply Chain Strategy (group procurement), and Project Acquisition & Development (feasibility assessments). Supporting sub-services include drone surveys, PV system design, financial return assessment, and scenario analysis. The company operates primarily in China helping multinational corporations deploy solar at commercial and industrial facilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Seeder Solar Calculator Online financial estimation tool that calculates rooftop solar system size, annual savings, payback period, and IRR based on rooftop area, province location, electricity rate, and monthly electricity bill for both self-investment and PPA scenarios.
- On-site Solar (PPA Service) Rooftop solar installation service using a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) financing model with zero upfront capital expenditure for commercial and industrial buildings in China, typically delivering 10-15% electricity cost savings over a 20-25 year contract.
- Off-site Clean Power Purchase & RECs Procurement service for off-site renewable energy through Renewable Energy Certificates, spanning the Chinese government REC market and international I-REC programs, to address corporate electricity load in China for sites unsuitable for on-site solar.
- Portfolio / Supply Chain Strategy Group procurement service that gives multiple suppliers collective bargaining power for on-site rooftop PV projects, with Seeder identifying the best PV developers and negotiating optimal contracts representing collective supplier interests.
- Project Acquisition & Development Technical and financial feasibility assessment service for renewable energy projects in China, including drone surveys, technical documentation review, site optimization, PV system design, policy and regulatory feasibility, financial return assessment, and scenario analysis, supporting client go/no-go decisions on self-investment or PPA solar.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10-15% electricity cost reduction for customers using PPA model
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Seeder
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Seeder technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Seeder partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Urban Green Energy (UGE)coreSeeder partnered with UGE to launch the first zero-cost solar PPA in China. UGE provides design, engineering, installation, operations and maintenance for the life of the contract. Seeder generates leads and facilitates financing. This partnership was officially launched at an event in Shanghai in April 2015.
- Schneider ElectricminorSeeder is an advisor for solar in China and partner of Schneider Electric, with articles published on Schneider's blog and perspectives platform. The partnership provides market validation and content distribution.
- e-Shang Redwood GroupcoreSeeder helped e-Shang Redwood deploy China's first major solar PPA at their Tongzhou warehouse (248 kW, 2,000 sqm rooftop). This project served as Seeder's template and proof-of-concept for the PPA model in China.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Seeder competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sunrun: US-based residential and small commercial solar PPA/leasing company. Comparable in the customer-facing PPA/financing intermediary business model, though focused on US residential — illustrates the model archetype Seeder is replicating in China's C&I segment.
- SunPower (now TotalEnergies affiliate): Solar solutions provider offering commercial and industrial rooftop systems, including PPA financing. Comparable as a vertically integrated provider of C&I rooftop solar with in-house financing — represents the more consolidated end-state of Seeder's market.
- Urban Green Energy (UGE): UGE was Seeder's co-launch partner for China's first zero-cost solar PPA, providing design, engineering, installation, and O&M. Both serve commercial/industrial rooftop customers via PPA models — UGE is the EPC counterpart to Seeder's advisory/facilitation role.
- WEnergy Global: Singapore-headquartered clean energy company focused on rooftop and C&I solar for factories across Asia, including China. Directly comparable in business model (zero-upfront solar, PPA-based, serving multinational manufacturers) and in geographic targeting.
Broad incumbents
- JinkoSolar: One of the world's largest solar panel manufacturers and an EPC/integrated solutions provider. Comparable because Seeder CTO Edwin Jiang was previously a Project Director at Jinko, and Jinko participates in Seeder's vetted developer network as one of the top-tier panel partners.
- Envision Energy: Larger global wind/smart energy and digital energy player; Envision Energy is specifically called out as Seeder team member Dingsheng Wu's prior employer and operates adjacent C&I/utility-scale renewables business in China. Comparable customer base and project development capability.
- Sungrow: China-headquartered inverter and energy storage provider with growing distributed/C&I solar solutions. Comparable as a China-rooted supplier that increasingly bundles inverters, storage, and project-level solutions for C&I rooftops.
- LONGi Green Energy: Largest mono-crystalline silicon wafer and panel producer globally, increasingly active in distributed solar solutions in China. Comparable as a major upstream supplier and developer that could disintermediate intermediaries like Seeder.
- Canadian Solar: Global solar panel manufacturer with project development arm. Comparable because Seeder CTO Edwin Jiang was previously at Canadian Solar, and the company represents the integrated panel-plus-project model against which Seeder's intermediary position is differentiated.
Others
- Schneider Electric: Global energy management and automation company that has Seeder as a China solar advisor and content partner. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem player — Schneider's sustainability/RE100-aligned enterprise buyer base overlaps Seeder's customer profile.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Seeder social profiles
Digital presenceSeeder financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Seeder leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Seeder funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Seeder 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 Seeder
What does Seeder do?
Seeder Clean Energy is a renewable energy advisory and rooftop solar financing intermediary that helps multinational corporations with factories in China procure on-site and off-site clean power. It conducts feasibility studies, screens and matches building owners with vetted PV developers and financing partners via its proprietary 80-Point Assessment Framework, and facilitates Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and self-investment solar installations on commercial and industrial rooftops. The company also runs a web-based Solar Calculator tool for savings and IRR estimation and offers group procurement services for corporate supply chains.
Is Seeder a public or private company?
Seeder is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Seeder founded?
Seeder was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Seeder based?
Seeder is headquartered in Shanghai, China, in the Asia region.
How does Seeder make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Advisory and Consulting Fees are the primary driver. The others are group Procurement Facilitation and PPA Facilitation.
Who are Seeder's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sunrun, SunPower (now TotalEnergies affiliate), Urban Green Energy (UGE) and WEnergy Global. Broad incumbents are JinkoSolar, Envision Energy, Sungrow, LONGi Green Energy and Canadian Solar. Schneider Electric is listed as an others.
Does Seeder have an API?
No public API is recorded for Seeder.
What industry is Seeder in?
Seeder's product category is Rooftop Solar Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMABAA, Solar Project Development & IPP (Utility-Scale & Rooftop), with a secondary code of EUACALAJ, Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro). Its NAICS code is 221114 and its SIC code is 4991.