Sagar Energy Solutions

What Sagar Energy Solutions does

Sagar Energy Solutions is a Tanzanian for-profit company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Mwanza, on the shores of Lake Victoria. The company designs and sells renewable energy products specifically for the East African artisanal fishing industry, targeting fishermen who historically rely on pressurised kerosene lanterns to attract Dagaa sardines at night. Its core commercial product, the Sabi Lamp, is a solar-powered fishing lamp co-designed with end users, featuring 10 hours of battery life on a 9W setting, 250–850 lumens output, IP64 waterproofing, DC/AC compatibility, remote lock/unlock, and PAYG-friendly payment mechanics. A second product, UpWind, is in R&D within the company's Sagar Innovation Lab and is intended as a solar drying solution to reduce the up-to-70% post-harvest fish losses caused by traditional drying methods.

The company's revenue model is hardware sales of the Sabi Lamp to individual artisanal fishermen, with optional PAYG financing enabled by the lamp's remote lock/unlock mechanism. Distribution is direct-to-community, working with local suppliers and professionals across the Lake Victoria region, supplemented by collaborations with NGOs, CSOs, and international development organizations. The company claims a $500 million yearly addressable market in East African artisanal fishing and cites per-fisherman impact metrics including up to 30% increased catch and up to $40 per month additional income, alongside a potential 480,000 tons per year CO2 emissions reduction at full regional adoption.

The team consists of 7 members led by three co-founders — Angelo Juvenary Matagili (Regional Advisor), Emil Goosen (Head of Growth, with a Masters in Energy and Environmental Sciences), and Alessandro Pietrobon (Head of Strategy, with a consulting and analytics background) — alongside a self-taught Head Engineer who previously electrified island communities on Lake Victoria. Operational funding and support have come from grant-providing partners including ClimateLaunchpad, RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency), SIG Foundation (Signify), World Merit, and Social Impact Lab. No equity funding rounds or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Sagar Energy Solutions

Legal name

Sagar Energy Solutions

Website

https://sagarenergysolutions.re

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sagar Energy Solutions designs and sells solar-powered products — primarily the Sabi Lamp and the UpWind drying solution — for artisanal fishermen on Lake Victoria, replacing kerosene lanterns and reducing post-harvest losses through direct community distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar-powered off-grid lighting (artisanal fishing)

NAICS

Electric Lamp Bulb and Other Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (335139)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ), Distributed & Commercial Renewable O&M (Rooftop Solar, C&I Wind, Small Hydro) (EUAMAGAB)

Keywords

• Solar fishing lamps
• Off-grid lighting solutions
• PAYG solar lanterns
• Artisanal fishing equipment
• Solar drying systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Mwanza

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Solar Lantern Hardware Sales: Sale of solar-powered fishing lamps (Sabi Lamp) to artisanal fishermen, with PAYG (Pay-As-You-Go) friendly remote lock/unlock mechanism enabling flexible payment options.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Sagar Energy Solutions designs, develops, and sells solar-powered off-grid hardware products for the East African artisanal fishing industry on Lake Victoria. Its core commercial offering is the Sabi Lamp, a solar-powered fishing lamp that replaces kerosene lanterns used to attract Dagaa sardines, featuring PAYG compatibility, IP64 waterproofing, and three light modes. The company also runs the Sagar Innovation Lab to develop additional value-chain solutions such as the UpWind solar drying system.

Product overview

Sagar Energy Solutions offers a portfolio of renewable energy products targeting the East African artisanal fishing industry. The core product is the Sabi Lamp, a solar-powered fishing lamp for night fishing on Lake Victoria. The company is also developing UpWind, a solar drying solution within its Innovation Lab to address food preservation challenges. Together, these products aim to create opportunities across the fishing value chain within the $500 million East African fishing market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sabi Lamp: Solar-powered fishing lamp designed for artisanal fishermen on Lake Victoria. Replaces kerosene lanterns, increases catch by up to 30%, reduces toxic fumes, and is waterproof with IP64 rating. Features 10 hours charge, 250-850 lumens, DC/AC compatible, remote lock/unlock, PAYG friendly, three light modes (3W/5W/9W).
• UpWind

Products and services

• Sabi Lamp

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 30% increase in fish catch for users
• +4 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• ClimateLaunchpadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate innovation accelerator program that Sagar Energy Solutions participated in, supporting climate-focused startups.
• EASETPPNminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting sustainable energy initiatives.
• EKAKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner organization collaborating on energy solutions.
• FUO (Changamoto)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organization supporting change-makers and innovators.
• RVO (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch government organization supporting international sustainable development projects.
• AnzaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational development partner organization.
• Social Impact LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial impact-focused incubator and accelerator program.
• World MeritminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal citizenship program focused on UN Sustainable Development Goals. Sagar participated in Merit360 program in 2016.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• M-KOPA Solar: Kenya-headquartered PAYG solar provider serving East African off-grid households with solar lanterns, home systems, and smartphones. Most direct overlap with Sagar in distribution model (PAYG/Pay-As-You-Go) and target geography (East Africa), with a much broader product portfolio.
• d.light: Pay-as-you-go solar lighting and home energy products across Africa and Asia, with very strong East African footprint and tens of millions of lanterns sold. Directly comparable to Sagar in that both distribute affordable solar lanterns to low-income, off-grid users via PAYG.
• Greenlight Planet (Sun King): One of the largest PAYG solar lantern distributors in Africa and Asia under the Sun King brand. Competes head-on with Sagar's Sabi Lamp in the off-grid lighting category and shares the PAYG + agent distribution playbook.
• BBOXX: UK-headquartered PAYG solar provider with deep East African distribution (Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda). Directly comparable product line (solar lanterns, home systems) and PAYG financing model for off-grid customers in the same geographies as Sagar.
• Zola Electric: Tanzania-rooted PAYG solar company (formerly Off Grid Electric Tanzania). Operates in the same Lake Zone market as Sagar, selling PAYG solar lanterns and home systems to off-grid households; very direct competitive overlap on product and on Tanzanian customer base.

Regional players

• Sosai Renewable Energies: Social-enterprise solar distributor operating in Nigeria focused on PAYG lanterns and clean cookstoves. Comparable business model (bottom-of-pyramid, PAYG, renewable energy) but concentrated in West Africa rather than the Lake Victoria region.
• Equatorial Power: Ugandan off-grid solar mini-grid and PAYG company serving rural East African communities. Comparable in distributing solar-powered solutions to off-grid users in Uganda and nearby Lake Victoria-adjacent areas.

Others

• Angaza: Provider of PAYG software and 'Last Mile' distribution infrastructure used by many African solar distributors. Comparable in that Sagar's PAYG remote-lock feature and distributor management rely on similar PAYG enablement technology.

Emerging players

• Solar Sister: NGO-network distributing clean energy products (solar lanterns, cookstoves) to women entrepreneurs across rural Africa. Strong thematic overlap with Sagar's community-led distribution model targeting last-mile customers.
• Fenix International (Engie): Acquired by Engie; Uganda-rooted PAYG solar home system provider with ready-made last-mile distribution infrastructure. Comparable PAYG model and adjacent product line to Sagar in East Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/anzainternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sagar-energy-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Sagar Energy Solutions